Princess Grisaia (Princess Evangile Crossover)
by Jakespeed207
Summary: After his family is targeted and killed, Okonogi Masaya is taken in and helped by a group of students in Mihama Academy. How does this affect his future, especially when he returns to his hometown and meets a pink-haired girl who offers him a place in an all-girls school? This young man can't catch a break! Rated M for some lewd scenes later on.
1. Chapter 1

**Alrighty, this is the other story that I had been working on, alongside Deus Ex: Evangile Revolution. Now, this one has shorter chapters since it's about half the size of Evangile Revolution. It will be in first person, as are most Visual Novels.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own squat. Also, Princess Evangile Spoilers incoming!**

 **0o0o0o0o0o0**

Today was just as unremarkable a day as yesterday.

As I walked around the city of Tsurugigaoka, my home, I pondered that sentence. After having come back to Tsurugigaoka due to some difficulties, I had descended into a simple routine that I'm sure my master would have approved of. I got up at 4:45 am every morning and jogged around the city for some time, then returned home and did some light exercises to keep my muscles in top condition. Afterwards, at around 10 am, I would go to a simple job I had in the city in a clothing store, which was usually a boring experience. I would tough it out for the necessary 9 hours a day, then left at 7 pm, whereupon I had the rest of the day to do with as I pleased. Usually, I just returned home and entertained myself in some way.

But today, I had decided to go to a small restaurant near my place and get some better food than I usually had at home. Don't get me wrong, I'm not running on military mess hall paste at home, but today I felt like changing my routine. The sole reason being the very first thing I had thought of once I had exited my apartment and went on my way.

Today was just as unremarkable a day as yesterday.

Now those were words that could attract trouble from Lady Fate, or so I'd come to think the next day.

Oh, yes, I haven't even introduced myself yet. The name is Okonogi Masaya, and believe it or not, I'm currently 19 years old. Now, you might be wondering why I'm working instead of studying my ass off as most young people would these days. Truth is, I couldn't settle down and study even if I wanted to.

This all began with my old man, a remarkably unremarkable man except for one thing: he was one of the smoothest talkers I had ever known of. I'd consider it a gift if it hadn't gotten us into so much trouble. You see, my father was also a compulsive borrower, so he borrowed a large amount of money and never really paid it back. It got so bad that the local mafia got involved, and two goons harassed us almost constantly, though my old man always managed to diffuse the situation through some oily words, extending his deadline. Though, with those extensions, the debt kept increasing and increasing.

Finally, one day, we had to leave Tsurugigaoka behind and flee. That was a day I still had regrets about. Not because of any actually attachments to the city, but more for the people. Especially, one childhood friend of mine that I had left behind without as much as a word of goodbye. It might sound callous, but I had been extremely worried that the Goons would target her if they saw us meeting, so I had, in effect, stood her up.

For two whole years...

Anyway, we had ended up moving house to another city near the sea, but the money troubles had followed us there literally the next day, something that truly shocked me. I had remembered yelling at my old man about just how much debt he had gotten into when the local mafia had appeared, but this time, he wasn't able to talk his way out of it.

The memories crept into my mind as I thought of it. The dark room... The moonlight streaming through the lone window... The heat of summer... The smell of decaying flesh...

I quickly shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. Now wasn't the time to get hung up on that.

I spotted the restaurant I frequented whenever I had an urge to eat out, and quickly entered, finding a seat at a table.

"Ah, Masaya-san," a waitress came up to me almost immediately, having recognised me once I entered. "Will you be having the usual?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Yumi-san," I nodded to the woman with a smile. She returned it and went to the kitchen.

As I sat and waited, I looked around the inside of the restaurant. I knew this place well since I came here every week or so, so the customers that came in usually weren't much of a surprise.

However, today, I spotted an unknown.

Sitting about three tables away, looking out the window while sipping tea, was a girl that looked to be about my age. The reason she caught my attention was two-fold.

First was her hair. She had long hair that reached down to her lower back, and I could see that she kept some of it in two small tails at each side of her head, giving her a slightly regal but still youthful look. Shockingly, though, her hair colour was almost bubblegum-pink, an oddity if I ever saw one.

The second thing that caught my attention was her outfit. She was wearing a white and black uniform with a bow on the neck clasp of the shirt and a somewhat modestly-sized skirt. This was the uniform of Vincennes Private Girls Academy, a prestigious, all-female school that was situated near the top of a hill next to Tsurugigaoka, along the length of which rested the houses of the richest people of the city. Most of the children of these families, unsurprisingly, went to Vincennes.

"What could a Vincennes student be doing here?" I murmured to myself as I watched her from the corner of my eyes. I wasn't alone, as I could see that most of the other patrons were also giving her odd looks now and then.

The girl suddenly pulled her eyes away from the window and looked around the restaurant. I looked away out of habit, but at that exact time, Yumi-san returned with a simple burger and a cola. I looked up and thanked her, to which she responded with a smile and a nod.

Just as Yumi-san was leaving, though, I noticed that the Vincennes girl was looking right at my table. Out of options, I decided to look right back at her as well, and our eyes locked. I knew that simply staring would probably be creepy, so I nodded at her gave her what I hoped was a wan smile. To my relief, she simply smiled and nodded back, though I could see that she had an unusual amount of determination behind her eyes.

Breaking the eye contact, I turned to my burger and began to eat.

...

It took only a short time for me to finish my meal, but by that time, the Vincennes girl had already left the restaurant, only giving me a passing glance on the way out.

As I stepped outside, I decided to keep the girl out of my mind and headed home. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be that easy.

On the route I usually take home, I became aware that the people I was passing seemed to be shifting unconsciously as they walked, and I caught snippets of conversations between people that indicated there had been some kind of struggle just ahead. I didn't pay it much attention and simply continued on my way, but when I turned the corner, I was met with a surprising sight.

The pink-haired girl I had seen at the restaurant was currently being accosted by several uniformed women, if the noticeable bumps on their uniforms said anything. While four of the attackers were simply surrounding the girl, the last one was close to her and had her left wrist in a tight hold. Pinkie, however, was struggling with all her might against the attacker while, at the same time, looking around at the people passing and asking for help.

No one came to her aid, though.

Keeping my head low, I began to approach the group at a steady pace, a multitude of thoughts running through my mind. The closer I got, the more of the conversation I could catch.

"Enough resisting. Come with us, now," the main attacker told Pinkie, tugging at her wrist.

"I will not!" Pinkie exclaimed, trying to pull herself away. I could see that her eyes were full of desperation instead of determination this time.

Ten paces...

"You have broken the rules enough! You shall be brought back, like it or not!"

Seven paces...

"I won't give up yet!"

Four paces...

At that very moment, I looked up, just enough so that I could see the situation. Immediately, Pinkie's eyes locked onto mine, and I could feel the hidden plea in them.

I ducked my head once again.

"Nobody is going to help you, Rise. Now, co- Ugh!"

As soon as I stepped right in front of where their arms were locked, I lashed out my right hand and gave a direct punch to the attacker's wrist, making her loosen her grip on Pinkie's wrist. Continuing my spin, I dug my other fist into her stomach, winding her and making her release Pinkie, then snatched her own wrist and used my momentum to turn her around and twist her arm behind her back while, at the same time, wrapping my other arm around her neck and pulling her back, nearly cutting off the circulation of air to her lungs.

Everything froze around us.

Then, one of the attackers spoke.

"Release her, now!" The young-looking woman barked out a demand. Judging by her looks and the massive surprise on her face, she was probably a novice or still in training.

I didn't respond.

"Who are you?!" another woman asked.

I smirked in response. "Isn't it impolite to ask someone's name without introducing yourself first?"

"Do not play with us, young man," a more seasoned-looking woman told me with narrowed eyes. "Why have you interfered?"

"One against five seems a little unfair, no? Especially when you all seem trained while she looks to be no more than a schoolgirl," I said succinctly.

"This is not your business," the novice spoke up. "Release the captain and leave now!"

"Oho... So this is your captain, is she?" I spoke in a mock-surprised manner, tightening my hold on her neck slightly. She let out a breathy whimper, and I noticed her free arm move forward slightly. "Nuh-uh," I whispered in her ear, pulling the arm I was holding until she hissed in pain. "No sudden movements, you."

"What is it that you want?" the only girl who hadn't yet addressed me spoke up.

I didn't respond. Instead, I lifted my hostage a little in order to determine her approximate weight. Making a few calculations in my head, I slowly moved back and signalled for Pinkie, who had been hanging back this entire time, to approach.

"Rise, was it?" I asked her.

"Y-Yes," Rise responded.

"When I tell you to run, you run, alright?" I whispered to her. She nodded in response.

"You're not going anywhere!" the novice yelled out, running my way and attempting to grab me despite the calls of her comrades.

 _'Perfect,'_ I thought to myself.

With one swift movement, I lifted the captain I was holding onto about a foot in the air, then swung my arms back and tossed her right into her comrade's path. Both women yelped as they fell to the ground in a tangled heap, and when I saw the three other attackers become immediately distracted, I took my chance.

"Let's go!" I called out to Rise, turning around and bolting while simultaneously grabbing her hand and pulling her along. Rise let out an exclamation when I grabbed her but quickly caught on and picked up her pace.

"Hold it!"

It was a useless call, as neither Rise nor I stopped. Hell, we just ran harder. I pulled Rise through several alleys, creating a zig-zag pattern that I kept up for nearly a full minute before I deemed it safe enough to stop.

That, and by that point, I was practically dragging Rise along.

It was clear that the girl hadn't done much in terms of exercise, which was to be expected for a Vincennes hothouse flower. Pulling her towards the mouth of an alley, I let her catch her breath while I scouted the area and made sure no one was chasing us. Thankfully, the street was practically empty, with only one or two late-night stragglers waking around, mostly drunk.

"Alright, seems we're clear," I told Rise, turning back to her. She seemed to be mostly back to normal, simply blotting her face with a handkerchief.

"Thank you so much," Rise said respectfully, bowing at the waist, handkerchief still in hand.

"Hey, hey, no need to bow," I waved it off. "I did what any sensible human being would do."

"But... you were the only one who helped me," Rise said in a sad tone that felt un-befitting of her slightly pudgy face.

"Well, that would mean that all those other people aren't sensible human beings, no?"

Rise giggled at my response and put her handkerchief away. When she turned back to me, I felt that an awkward silence was soon coming, so I decided to cut it there.

"Well, I hope you don't get into any more trouble, Rise," I nodded at her. "This is where I leave you."

"W-W-Wait!" Rise exclaimed as I turned away. I turned my head back to her, prompting her silently. "Forgive me, but I thought you would ask why those women were attacking me."

"If you wish to tell me, then do so," I explained to her. "No need to wait for my prompt. However, I can't deny that I am curious."

Rise seemed to debate my words for a moment before speaking again. "Do you know of someplace we could talk?"

That caught my attention. "I suppose it depends. How secretive is this talk?"

"Not very," Rise said.

"Very well then, will my apartment suffice?"

"You have an apartment?" Rise asked, seemingly perplexed.

"Is it that shocking? Come on, it's not too far from here," I said, waving a hand and beginning to walk. A moment later, I heard Rise's steps fall in behind me.

The walk to the apartment complex was quiet but not awkwardly so. In all honesty, I was glad, since I wasn't sure just what topics could be broached with a sheltered girl.

Thankfully, it took no more than two minutes to reach the apartment. Unfortunately, a nasty surprise was waiting for me there.

Having ascended the steps to the second floor, I had barely turned the corner when I had to force myself to move back quickly, pushing Rise back as well. She made a startled sound, but I quickly silenced her.

"Quiet..."

With my back to the corner, I stuck my head out slightly in order to look at the outside hallway.

Right in front of my door were two men, their clothes seemingly at odds with each other. One was a young, blonde guy, who was wearing a white suit with a red inner shirt. The other was a much older guy, who was sporting neck-level, greying hair and what seemed to be a traditional kimono.

These two were the Goons, a local mafia group that my father had been having so much trouble with.

They seemed to be banging on my door, as if trying to threaten me to come out. It seemed they hadn't noticed me yet.

"Masaya-san, is something wrong?" Rise asked fearfully.

I turned back to her, noticing the confused expression on her face. Taking another glance at the Goons, I simply said in as commanding a voice as I could, "Follow my lead and don't do anything rash, no matter what they say or do, understood? Stay some distance behind me at all times."

"U-Understood." Rise's voice was a little shaky, but I could hear the determination that had been in her eyes back in the restaurant was now in her voice.

With a nod to her, I moved out of cover and began to walk towards the Goons, deliberately making my walk as calm as possible. Truthfully, though, I was preparing myself for anything they would do. Listening to Rise's footsteps, I noticed she was about five paces behind me. Good.

"Gentlemen... Is there some reason you're trying to destroy my door?"

The moment my voice rang out, the Goons turned to me. The older guy seemed a little surprised, but the younger one simply sneered at me.

"Well, would you look at this? Most people would try to stay away from the people after their heads, brat."

"Why would you be after my head?"

This time, the guy growled at me. "If you keep playing dumb, you'll soon become dumb."

"Then you must be irreparably damaged," I returned with a smirk.

"Why you little-!"

"Kyoshi, enough!" The older guy barked out an order, and Kyoshi reluctantly obeyed.

"Yes, boss."

I shook my head at Kyoshi's idiocy, then turned serious. "Enough games. What do you want?"

"You damn well know what," Kyoshi said in a threatening tone.

"Enlighten me. My memory seems to be failing me."

"The ten million you owe us, kid! Ring a bell?!" Kyoshi screamed.

I heard a quiet gasp behind me, but the Goons were so focused on me they didn't seem to notice.

"We've been lenient enough with you, you brat! Pay up!" Kyoshi continued.

I narrowed my eyes at the pair. "You two really are idiots. I've told you time and time again that I'm not paying back something I didn't borrow."

"Parents are responsible for their kids, and kids are responsible for their parents," the boss said, closing his eyes as if trying to be sagely.

"Spare me the philosophies," I frowned at the two of them. "I was born from him, but he is not my father. He never earned that right."

The way I said it apparently shocked them into silence. Trying to come up with something to say, it seemed Kyoshi finally noticed Rise.

"Ah... I see..." Kyoshi smirked. "You just want us gone so that you can have some alone time with your girlfriend, huh?"

"Even if it were like that, it's none of your business," I narrowed my eyes at them, my anger rising.

"You know, I bet she could make some good cash for ya at the bath houses, if you know what I mean," Kyoshi said, wagging his pinkie finger.

That caused my hackles to seriously rise, but I did my best to keep my anger in check.

That is, until Kyoshi said, "Wait a second, I recognise you. You're that girl from before, aren't ya?"

These two knew Rise?

"Yes, and it is no better seeing you now than it was then," Rise responded, and I could hear the scowl on her voice.

"You know these two, Rise?" I asked.

"Yes, Masaya-san," Rise nodded. "They... Well..."

"What?" I prompted her.

"They tried to... kidnap me once before."

"... What?!"

Now, I think I could have classified my state as pissed off.

"What's it to you, brat? Keep your nose out of it and pay us the money," Kyoshi sneered.

I didn't respond.

"Are you in shock now? Move it, kid," Kyoshi said.

I didn't respond to that either.

"Bah, fuck it!" Kyoshi exclaimed, finally losing patience. "If you're not gonna pay, then your girlfriend will!"

And with that, Kyoshi moved towards us and tried to reach around me to grab Rise.

 _Tried_.

I could almost see him move in slow motion from how angry I was, and as such, I felt it was almost too easy to react. As Kyoshi moved to the area just to my right, I reached out quickly and grabbed the chest of his precious suit, lifting him up with it.

"H-Hey, let go, kid! Get the fuck off me!"

As much as he struggled, however, I refused to let go. I made eye contact with the boss and, without warning...

"Ack! Wait, wait, wait, nooooo!"

"Kyoshi!"

"Masaya-san!"

... I tossed Kyoshi right over the railing and down to the street.

The silent wait for the fall was shorter than any of us expected, since we heard the tell-tale crash against something about a second later. Turns out, it had been a tree. He was extremely luck that he hit that tree before he hit the ground, though, as it seemed to have slowed his descent slightly, if not painfully.

It took half a minute, but he soon stared cursing up a storm, all the words filled with pain and aimed at me. I ignored it, however, in favour of staring directly at the boss, whose eyes had gone wide in shock.

"That will be your last warning," I growled at him. "The next time you try to come after me for something ridiculous, I can't promise you'll leave with your lives."

And with that threat, I opened the door of my apartment, nodded at a still-shocked Rise to enter, then went in myself and slammed the door, locking it in the process.

I stayed by the door, listening with bated breath. Finally, I heard the boss move on, and a minute later, Kyoshi's voice began to recede. I let out a sigh, finally relaxing somewhat. Realising it was still dark, I reached for the light switch and turned on the lights.

Turning, I found Rise barely a step away from me, her eyes shining slightly.

"That was cool, Masaya-san," she said, admiration in her voice.

"Oh... uh, thanks," I said in confusion. I don't know what I had expected, but it certainly wasn't that. "Want some tea?"

"Yes, that would be much appreciated. Thank you," Rise agreed, bowing slightly.

"Like I said, there's no need to bow," I reminded her as I moved to the kitchenette, pulling out the necessary tools with speed and precision.

Rise took a seat by the small coffee table I had at the centre of the apartment. She was quiet, seemingly pondering something. I maintained the calm silence as I worked, and only when the tea was ready did I break it.

"Here's your tea," I said, putting the cup in front of her. She seemed to snap out of whatever it was that she was thinking, and gave me a grateful smile, waiting until I had taken a seat across from her to take a sip.

"Mmm... this tea is very good," Rise commented, almost smacking her lips.

"You say that like you haven't had tea anywhere but at Vincennes," I pointed out.

"No, I have, it's just... wait, you know that I go to Vincennes?"

"The uniform is pretty recognisable."

Rise nodded to herself, almost as if realising that very thought.

"What did you need to talk about with me?" I said bluntly.

Rise seemed taken aback by my words though. After a second, she looked at me critically and said, "You're a very straightforward person, aren't you, Masaya-san?"

"I don't like to waste time. That could mean the difference between life and death."

Now that definitely took her by surprise. I meant every word, though.

"Well?" I prompted her softly. I didn't want to scare the girl or come off as rude, after all.

"Before I begin, I must ask two questions," Rise spoke up. "First, how old are you?"

I told her my age.

"The same age as me, I see," she muttered. "Second, are you attending any school right now?"

"Not really, no."

Rise nodded to herself, muttering, "Find a boy... one that was of school age... and that could attend this year..."

I let her mutter to herself. It seemed she was getting her thoughts in order.

It took no more than a few seconds for Rise to begin her explanation. She began by explaining that Vincennes had been going through some tough financial times due to the dwindling number of students that attended, and if something wasn't done soon, then it would most likely close by the next two years. It hadn't helped that they had recently rebuilt a building to update its earthquake protocols, which had left them even more strapped for funds.

She followed it up by explaining that the Board of Education had been arguing back and forth about what to do, and in the end, one decision had been pushed by Rise and her grandmother, who happened to be the chairwoman of the school: gender integration.

It was a sound idea. The school had room for male students as well, as they hadn't decreased the space of the buildings one iota. Unfortunately, it meet much opposition from the Board and the headmistress, especially the latter, who was a firm traditionalist.

In the end, it had been grudgingly accepted, but the traditionalist faction of the debate had placed some nearly-unreasonable terms: instead of full integration from the get go, they would accept only one male candidate and allow him to stay for a year as a transfer student and guinea pig. By the end of the year, the students would vote on the decision of full integration. Additionally, they wouldn't accept just any male to attend, so one of the students would be assigned as a scout in order to find a male of good qualities, or 'with righteous intentions', as Rise put it.

"I think I see where this is going," I told Rise when she stopped for breath.

"I'm sure you do," Rise nodded, "So I shall get to the point. Masaya-san, would you like to attend Vincennes Private Girls Academy as a transfer student?"

She had asked me with a hopeful smile, but I couldn't immediately return it. Instead, I leaned back and closed my eyes, thinking the decision through.

"One main question," I spoke up after about half a minute. "How will I pay for it? I'm fairly sure I don't have enough money to pay for room and board over there."

"You need not worry about that," Rise assured me. "My grandmother has set aside enough money for room and board as a scholarship for you."

I nodded. The idea, I had to admit, had some merit. I thought it over a bit more, but in the end, I nodded in acceptance.

"I accept your offer, Rise," I told her.

"Whew, thank goodness," Rise sighed.

"Did you expect me to refuse?"

"Not exactly, but... truthfully, the allotted time I was given for scouting had expired some time ago. I am simply glad I succeeded in my mission."

"I see. Better late than never, as they say?"

"Yes," Rise agreed with a nod.

"Very well. I can see that you care very much for Vincennes, Rise."

"I do," Rise said with a smile. She didn't say more, but she didn't need to. Her current facial expression and devotion to the school were more than enough explanation for me.

"I can't go to Vincennes immediately, though," I explained to her. "I do have a job I'll need to quit in order to go full time, and I still need to pack my possessions."

"That's fine, Masaya-san. Do you have a day when you think you'll be coming?"

"I'd say two days is enough."

"That's fair. I shall be waiting by the gate then."

"Good."

I stood and collected the empty teacups, placing them in the sink. Once that was done, I helped Rise to her feet, then walked to the door.

"Come, I'll walk you home," I offered.

"Are you sure?" Rise seemed taken aback by the offer. "No buses run at this hour, and it is a bit of a long walk."

"That's fine by me," I responded as I put my shoes on. "I'm quite used to walking, and the fact that it's a long walk is even more reason for me to accompany you this late at night."

"Very well then. Thank you, Masaya-san," Rise smiled at me as we stepped outside.

...

The walk to Vincennes was indeed long, and a bit arduous considering it was uphill. Despite that, it felt shorter than I'd expected, probably because of the company.

I found that talking with Rise was quite interesting. Our differing upbringings meant we had very different points of view about almost every subject. Additionally, Rise was not one to be easily riled up, and as such, we could talk about nearly anything. With that kind of distraction, it felt like only half an hour had passed when we saw the gates of Vincennes.

"Are you sure you'll be alright heading back, Masaya-san?" Rise asked with worry.

"I'll be just fine, don't worry," I assured her.

With that, I saw the gates open up, and with a final wave, Rise walked inside, shooting glances back at me until we could see each other no more.

Once she was gone, I sighed and turned around, ready to head back. To my surprise, just as I turned, I encountered the very same team that had been dispatched to find Rise, who seemed to be just arriving themselves.

The five women immediately tensed, and the novice was about to yell something out, but a quick glare from the captain silenced her. The captain then carefully walked closer to me and asked, "What are you doing here?"

I almost snorted at the question. "I suppose it wouldn't be _too_ obvious, but I was walking Rise back home."

One of the women around the captain drew a quick gasp, and I heard her murmur, "Wait... does that mean...?"

"No, it doesn't," I told her firmly. She looked up at me in surprise. "I know better than anyone the dangers that there are after hours in Tsurugigaoka. Thus, I was making sure Rise came back safely, and now I'm on my way home."

The women relaxed at that and parted, obviously giving me the sign to go. I walked past them, but just before I had walked out of earshot, I stopped and threw back one last comment.

"According to Rise, though, I might call this place home soon."

And with that comment, I went on my way, leaving behind a startled group of security guards.

...

 **0o0o0o0o0o0**

 **And that's a wrap. If you wish, do give me some feedback on this. I tried to make Masaya as close to Yuuji as I could, but I didn't want them to be exactly similar, as you might be able to tell in later chapters.**


	2. Chapter 2

The process of getting ready took even less time than I anticipated. My possessions were all easy to pack, and I had little enough that they all fit in one large backpack. I left most of the bigger things in the apartment, as I had the lease already paid for the next three months and could renew it if needed. Quitting my job was also easy, as it seemed they were already hiring some new hands and I wouldn't be missed all that much.

The next day, I took up my backpack, exited my apartment, and took the walk up to Vincennes. It was a bit rough and definitely felt longer than it had two days ago, but back then, I had company. Now, I had nothing but my turbulent thoughts. My backpack wasn't all that heavy to me, but the uphill climb was certainly more taxing now than it was before.

Almost exactly at noon, though, I made it to the Vincennes no worse for wear than I was that morning, having walked for about forty-five minutes.

And waiting for me right in front of the gate was Rise herself, along with a tall woman in a blue female business suit, and a shorter, much older woman who I could only assume was Rise's grandmother. Not to mention a group of the same security officers that had chased Rise two days ago.

As I approached, I began to discern the different expressions of the group by the gates. The most obvious were the ones of the security, as they were all on edge and seemed to be looking my way with wariness in their eyes. In Rise's grandmother's expression, I could see... compassion, as if the woman could understand my struggles, along with a feeling of experience. From Rise herself, I could see nervousness and excitement.

But from the final person, all I could sense was an unparalleled level of hostility aimed my way, and as such, I reacted with the method that had settled into me from my training: be prepared for anything and assess the level of danger before stepping forward and attacking, or stepping back and defending.

All of them, however, seemed to be very surprised by something, most likely the size of my backpack.

"Rise," I called out as I approached, "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Masaya-san," Rise responded, bowing at the waist.

"Come now, Rise, I asked you several times to stop that," I chided gently. "I don't believe I've done anything that deserves a bow."

"I'd counter that claim, but now is not the time, is it?"

"You're right. We can exchange more pleasantries later." I turned to the two new faces. "I don't believe I've introduced myself yet. Okonogi Masaya."

"So you are the boy that my granddaughter found," the elderly woman stepped forward. "I am Rise's grandmother, the chairwoman of Vincennes."

"A pleasure to meet you, madam," I responded smoothly, bowing at the waist after dropping my large backpack and drawing on the lessons of etiquette my friends had drilled into me. Straightening, I turned to the last person in the line-up. "The same for you, madam."

"Madame Headmistress is what you'll call me if you will study here," the now-identified headmistress spoke in a hostile tone. Turning, she began to walk back into the school, whose gates had opened. "Come, we have wasted enough time standing here waiting for you."

The rest of us stood there for only a second or two before getting a move on.

...

The campus was deserted at the moment, as it seemed not everyone was back from break and those that were not coming out today. As such, Rise decided to give me a basic outline of the school as we walked to the headmistress' office, pointing out landmarks that would help me find my way around. Truthfully, there was only one thing I would really need these for, and that was for setting a route that I could run on in the mornings. Heck, I was already drawing a mental outline of the route.

Once we arrived, I had to fill in several forms that basically described the rules of Vincennes to me. Despite the fact that I knew or guessed most of these by now, I still looked over the entirety of the forms briefly to make sure I understood everything needed, a practice that a good friend had instructed me on so that I would not be swindled in the future. I was currently half-thanking, half-dismissing the instruction she had given me, because while I found many rules I hadn't thought were rules at first, most if not all of these specifically stated that they applied to female students, even though that should be obvious. Therefore, with things such as dress code, I had pretty much a lot of liberty.

Finally, the paper signing was done, and Rise was tasked with showing me to my room. After a small string of precautions and explanations about how the other Vincennes girls may react to my presence, I was let go, and Rise and I made our way to the building meant for the Final Course second year students.

Almost as soon as Rise closed the doors of the headmistress' office, I spoke up. "The headmistress _really_ doesn't like me, does she?"

"Unfortunately so," Rise nodded. "She's a pure traditionalist of Vincennes."

"Would the same apply to the rest of the students?" I asked as we exited the building.

"Yes, to an extent," Rise replied in an unsure tone. "Definitely not to the level of the headmistress, though."

"Well, small mercies and all that."

We kept an amiable silence during the walk to the dormitory. Rise seemed to be in an inordinately good mood and kept shooting glances at me that I pretended not to notice, instead keeping my head on a swivel and finishing the mental map I made for my morning run.

As we approached the dormitory, Rise began to explain the specifics such as how many rooms there were, what they were equipped with, and roughly how many students stayed there. Just as she finished the explanation, though, we were both surprised when the doors of the dormitory opened and a girl with long, black hair that looked to be about our age stepped out, freezing up when she noticed the two of us.

I immediately glanced at Rise and noticed that she seemed frozen as well. Quickly, I nudged her, as I could see that the girl was preparing herself to scream or something, though it seemed Rise's presence had dampened it somewhat.

"A-Ah, Koyuki-san," Rise stuttered out with a strained smile. "Salutations."

"Rise-san..." Koyuki breathed out. "Why is there a... male... with you...?

Her voice got fainter as she went along, but neither of us had problems hearing her.

"He's the new transfer student," Rise hastened to explain. "Do you remember that I had been looking for a good male student to join our school?"

"But I thought your scouting time had expired," Koyuki pointed out.

"It had, but I continued to search despite that," Rise responded with a determined frown. "I couldn't just let that hold me back."

"I see," Koyuki muttered, looking at me. I looked back at her silently, waiting for her to make the first move. "Who is he?"

"Okonogi Masaya," I responded, despite the fact that the girl was aiming the question at Rise. "I _can_ speak, you know." Koyuki's face burned with embarrassment at my comment, so I continued in a softer tone. "It's alright, though. I can understand looking for a friendly face when in a new situation, more than you know."

The girl seemed to relax as I said that, and Rise made some excuse to her so that we could continue on.

Once inside the building, Rise spoke. "That was very well handled, Masaya-san."

"Yes, well, I did speak the truth. It isn't the first time I've been thrust into a brand new situation. I've got some experience in that field."

"It sounds like you've had quite an interesting life," Rise commented as we stopped in front of a door.

"Like you wouldn't believe. This is it?"

"Yes, Masaya-san." She handed me a small key, which I wasted no time in inserting into the lock and twisting. I pushed open the door and stepped inside, feeling around the wall to my right for the light switch. I flicked it, and the lights immediately came on.

"Definitely a nice place," I commented as I moved inside and dropped my backpack in front of the bed. Hearing no immediate response, I turned back and realised that Rise had stayed at the doorway, an unsure look on her face. "Is something wrong?"

"No! Well..." She had denied it vehemently, but then looked unsure again. "This is... a boy's room now. I shouldn't enter it."

I raised an eyebrow at that. This girl was quite innocent, it seemed. With a sigh, I stepped to the door and stood there, holding my hand out to her. She looked confused, but eventually laid her hand on mine, and without a second thought, I pulled her into the room, drawing a yelp from her.

"Masaya-san!"

I chuckled at her. "You forget that this was originally a girl's room, so that hardly matters. Also, you have my permission to come in whenever you wish, so it's fine."

"Are you sure?" Rise asked awkwardly.

"You've asked me that a lot, you know."

"Oh! I apologise," Rise attempted to bow, but I placed a hand on her shoulder before she could.

"It's fine, don't worry. And no bowing," I told her. She nodded in response, face flushed red.

After releasing her shoulder, I put my backpack on the bed, making it sink and actually creak, and set about taking all of my stuff out, Rise watching from over my shoulder. I first started with my clothes, then set about to putting them back at their right spots, using my usual organisation method. Afterwards, I pulled out all of my small and odd objects, including a rice cooker that I'd use at home and on trips to cook whatever food I needed. Rise asked me every so often about an object I pulled out, but otherwise, she just observed.

Finally, after a few minutes, I placed the mostly empty backpack in the closet and sat on the bed, immediately noticing how soft it was and how it sunk inwards as soon as my butt touched it.

"Take a seat," I invited to Rise, who decided to kneel by the coffee table in front of the bed.

We sat in silence for a short while, but in about a minute, I spoke up.

"You lied to me."

Rise almost immediately looked down, as if she was expecting this.

"You told me my stay would be decided in a year. Turns out I may not have even that much." Rise looked up and tried to speak, but I cut her off. "Despite that... I don't resent you, don't worry." Rise's eyes widened. "I can understand why you did it, and I don't mind."

"You... don't resent me?" Rise asked with surprise.

"No," I shook my head. "But, for the future... please don't lie to me, alright? I'd hate to distrust one of my friends."

Rise nodded happily.

After that, we delved into meaningless chatter until the sun went down, whereupon Rise headed back to her own room. After she was gone, I took a long, necessary shower, and laid down on the bed in my boxers, almost immediately falling into a light slumber. The softness of the bed was a new and welcome feeling, and I took it without a second thought.

This was my new, temporary home.

And tomorrow, I would find out how prepared I was for it.

...

...

...

The next morning, I awoke to a pleasantly soft feeling all around my body. My alarm was ringing quietly by my bedside, so I forced myself to get up and stretch a little before turning it off. I opened my eyes fully and almost panicked at the unfamiliar setting, but then the memories of yesterday came rolling into my head, and I exhaled calmly.

Right... this was my home now.

Remembering how I had organised my things last night, I turned on the lights in my room and quickly put on my usual running tracksuit. After putting on my shoes and grabbing my key and a small pack I always use for my morning runs, I quietly exit the room and lock my door, placing a small strip of transparent tape by the bottom of the door.

Once I walk outside, I bring to mind the map I had made for my morning run, hang the pack on a tree branch some yards away from my dormitory building, and start, keeping to a set pace that I had ingrained into myself a long time ago.

The run was quiet, yet insightful. Since I hadn't actually taken a full tour of the grounds of Vincennes, almost everything I saw was new to me. All of the environment had that dewy smell and presence to it that was normal for five in the morning, and it simply made it look even more breathtakingly beautiful.

I ran into a surprise near the end of my run, almost literally. As I was turning the corner of a building, I saw a running woman just some yards ahead, her speed only slightly below mine. She was wearing flexible fleece shorts and a sleeveless shirt, and even at my distance, I could see that her top was soaked with sweat. She was also wearing a baseball cap with the logo of the Keihan Bulldogs, which I could see because she had it on backwards.

Curious, I sped up slightly in order to catch up to her, then greeted her when I was at her side with a simple, "Mornin'."

"W-What the?!"

It seemed she hadn't been expecting that, because she flinched violently and almost tripped, dropping her hat in the process. I reached out and grabbed her arm, helping her steady herself.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"I-It's fine... it's okay..." The young woman seemed to mutter more to herself than to me. Now that I could look at her properly, I realised that it was that novice from the Gardiane group that had been chasing Rise three days ago. Kneeling, I picked up her hat and dusted it off before handing it back to her.

"Thank you," she muttered, taking the hat from me. As she began to put it back on, I studied her full image for the first time. She had chest-length grey hair that she was keeping in a ponytail. And I don't mean greying hair, I mean fully light-grey hair. It seemed Rise wasn't the only one with oddly coloured hair. She had hazel eyes and a rather slim figure, which was toned from her exercise routine, I assumed.

"Why are you here?" the girl suddenly asked me, looking at me with suspicion.

"I'm on my usual morning run, as are you, I assume," I respond, waving my hand towards my outfit.

"You run in the mornings as well?" she asked, perplexed.

"Of course. It's a good exercise," I say simply.

"I see..." She says no more than that and continues running. Not being one to be left behind, I continue as well, running just next to her.

"Do you run every morning?" I ask in order to make some conversation.

The girl continues to look at me suspiciously, but she eventually answers. "Not every morning, since I have Gardiane duties, but when I can, I do."

"That's good. Even a little exercise is good to keep the muscles working well."

"Indeed. Do you run every morning?"

"Yes, unless something dire has happened. I find it relaxing, and it lets me keep my thoughts organised. Plus, after a good shower, I feel energised and ready to go."

The girl nods and descends into silence, and I maintain it, not wanting to burden either of us with unnecessary talk. We had created very similar running routes, with the exception of a few paths that she took that I hadn't noticed before.

It was fifteen minutes before we both decided to call it quits.

By then, the girl was panting profusely, and with the rising sun, I could see that the amount of sweat on her had doubled. It seemed she wasn't as used to this as I was, but her pride probably didn't allow her to stop before now, at least while I was there. With a small chuckle, I wave her over to where I had left my pack, open it, and toss her one of the small towels I had inside. She catches it with a look of surprise.

"Use that," I say, pulling out another and wiping my face. "You look like you need it."

The girl seems dumbfounded, but in the end, she relents and begins to wipe her own face and arms.

"Want some water?" I ask her, holding out a canteen I had pulled out.

"No, thank you," she politely declines. "I have to get back to my place. My duties start in an hour."

"Ah, I see. Well, before you go, mind if I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"What's your name?"

The girl seems to startle when I ask her this.

"Well, I don't want to be calling you 'the girl' whenever I think about you, do I? Plus, I'd like to know the name of the person I may meet again in the mornings," I reason.

The girl stands quietly for a moment, then looks at me and says, "Aiko. My name is Nasaki Aiko."

"Well, it's a pleasure to properly meet you, Nasaki Aiko," I say, extending my hand. After a moment, she takes it, and we shake.

"Likewise, Okonogi Masaya. Though, you must admit, it wasn't under the best of circumstances."

"Yeah, I guess throwing your captain onto you isn't the best way to greet a person, is it?"

"It certainly isn't! The captain's heavier than she looks, you know!"

"Careful, you never know who's listening."

Aiko makes an 'eep' sound and looks around quickly.

"Relax, it's still pretty early," I say with a chuckle. "But, either way, I'm not apologising for that. I just did what I had to do to help someone."

"I didn't really expect you to," she says dryly.

"Do I really look bad enough to not expect an apology from me?"

"Oh, n-no, that isn't what I-."

"Hey, hey, relax. I was kidding."

Aiko sighs at me. "You've got a strange sense of humour."

"I get that a lot."

With a shake of her head, she hands the towel back to me and says, "Thank you. I'll see you around, I guess."

"I have a feeling you will, Aiko. Until then."

With that, she lightly jogs away from me and down a side path. After putting my things inside the pack, I walk into the dormitory and enter my room, doing a few light calisthenics before heading for the bathroom.

...

Finally, after half an hour, I deem myself ready. However, I still had some time to kill, so I cook myself up a small breakfast of bean paste and rice and gulp it down with water. It wasn't the most fulfilling of breakfasts, but it would do, just as it had many times before.

Sometime before the bell rings, I hear a knock on my door, accompanied by a soft voice. "Masaya-kun, are you awake?"

"Yes, Sister Mishima, you can come in."

The door opens smoothly and a light-brown-haired woman enters, wearing the usual outfit of a nun.

"I'm happy to see that I do not have to wake you up myself, Masaya-kun," Sister Mishima says with an impish smile.

Oh yes, despite being a nun, this Sister had quite the playful side to her, as I learned when I first met her.

"I got used long ago to getting up early in the morning, Sister," I say to her. "Heck, I already did my morning run some time ago."

"You run in the mornings?" Mishima asks in surprise.

"Of course. I need to keep my body in tip-top shape, no?" I say with a waggle of my eyebrows that makes her giggle.

"Indeed you do, Masaya-kun. Very well, then, I shall leave you to your devices. Please make sure you aren't late."

"I won't be, don't worry."

With that, the Sister leaves my room. I don't think I could have gotten a better staff member to help me with adjusting to Vincennes. Mishima was always a fair, yet fun, woman, who knew just what to say to throw you off sometimes but also had great advice. I really liked her.

I exit my room with a quarter of an hour before the morning bell rings, once again rigging the door with the tape security. With a leisurely pace, I walk out of the dorm and into the now less chilly air, heading for the gymnasium I had seen this morning. I wasn't surprised to see that a larger amount of Vincennes students than I thought were already up, and neither was I surprised that they were looking at me with shock, distrust, and outright bewilderment.

I steadfastly ignored them, though, and made my way down the path to the gym, arriving at exactly 9:55 am. There, I was greeted by Vincennes' chairwoman, Rise's grandmother.

"Madame Rousenin, good morning," I greeted the woman. One thing I'd learned from both the woman and her granddaughter was that she wasn't one for grand greetings, which I was grateful for.

"Good morning to you as well, Masaya-kun," the chairwoman greeted back with a wide smile. "It is good to see you up and about so early."

"Well, I've gotten used to walking up very early in the morning, so it's not an issue."

"Good, good. Now, I assume you already know most of what is expected of you here at Vincennes?"

"Yes, ma'am. I am to be, first and foremost, a student, but I am also to interact with the student body so that they may have a better idea of what should be expected when full integration occurs."

"Oh? I see you're quite confident about the idea for integration passing, Masaya-kun," the chairwoman pointed out.

"Of course," I answered swiftly. "Even if I am ejected from the school halfway through the year, I believe in your granddaughter, Madame Rousenin, and I know that she'll work her hardest to make her ideas succeed. She has a drive in her heart that is hard to match."

"Oh, hearing your words does this old heart good, Masaya-kun," the chairwoman said with a smile, looking behind me. "And I believe that you have endeared yourself even more into someone else's heart."

With a smile, I turn around and greet Rise, who's standing behind me, looking a bit shell shocked.

"Good morning, Rise-san."

Suddenly, a radiant smile appears on Rise's face, and she bows to me.

"A good morning indeed, Masaya-san. Your words are pleasant to hear."

"I'm glad you liked them, as I meant each one." I realise then that there is someone else next to Rise that I had yet to notice. "Hello there, I don't believe I've had the pleasure. Okonogi Masaya, transfer student extraordinaire." I extend my hand towards the younger student with a smile, studying her features. She was about a head shorter than I was, with midnight-blue hair that reached down to below her butt and fine facial features. She had wine red eyes, once again a colour oddity I encountered here. Besides her small backpack, she was also carrying a bible under her arm.

"A pleasure," the girl responds in a low voice. "I am Kitamikado Ritsuko."

"Kitamikado, Kitamikado... Would you be related to the headmistress, by any chance?"

"She is my mother," Ritsuko responds, her eyes guarded.

"I see." With a small nod, I close the subject and turn back to the chairwoman. "Madame, I think it's time to get this show on the road."

"Indeed, Masaya-kun," the chairwoman agrees. "Rise, Ritsuko, please make your way inside."

The girls immediately follow the order and head inside, with the chairwoman and I following just behind, though we head down a different path. The chairwoman leads me into a side room of the gymnasium, where I am told to stand and wait until she calls me.

Sometime after she heads inside, I hear her begin to talk over the loudspeakers to a gathered audience of students, presumably. She goes over the same points Rise had explained to me in my apartment, then goes on to say that she had personally allowed my entrance, as it would have been a waste to deny the transfer when so much effort had been put into the scouting. After explaining some more points, she says, "Now, I think it's time I introduce your new classmate. You may come out now, Okonogi Masaya."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

Truthfully, that yell startled me. That had been unexpected, and I couldn't help but feel that the voice sounded familiar. Remembering that the chairwoman had asked for me to exit, though, I open the doors of the side room and head into the gym proper, walking towards the chairwoman with my head held high. Once I reach her, I turn to look at the students with as neutral a face as I can muster. In truth, I was looking to see if I could find the person that had let out that yell, but the faces of the girls gathered said nothing. I did find Rise, though, and she was quick to give me a reassuring smile.

"Masaya-kun, would you like to say a few words?" the chairwoman asked me.

"Sure," I nod, grabbing the microphone she hands to me. As I turn back to the students, I notice that almost all of them are looking at me with distrust and almost outrage, and I couldn't blame them.

"I think I might know what you're thinking. Changing something that's been set in stone can be a difficult thing, but radical ideas have their merits. I'm simply a temporary student, though I do hope to get to know all of you, and vice versa. I'm Okonogi Masaya, a new student, and while I know it will be difficult, I do hope that you will at least try to talk to me and get to know who I am before throwing me to the dogs. I do want you to know this, though: I **will not** simply stand there and be a target for your hate and accusations. Should push come to shove, I **will** defend my position with all I have, whether it be physically or with words, as I have been trained to. I will not instigate any battles, but I will finish them."

And with that, leaving behind a startled group of Vincennes maidens, I handed the microphone back to the chairwoman, crossed my arms, and closed my eyes, choosing to listen carefully instead of actually watching.

"Thank you for those words, Masaya-kun," the chairwoman said, and I could sense a hidden respect in them. "Very well, ladies. Your classes start in an hour, so off you go."

The girls immediately began to disperse, having an almost military level of response. I could feel the burning gazes of the girls, but I ignored them, waiting until they had all left before turning to the chairwoman.

"Was that good?"

"I feel that it was just right, Masaya-kun," the chairwoman nodded. "Now, you should get going as well."

"I shall. Good day, Madame," I say with a bow, departing at once.

...

About a quarter of an hour later, I reach the place where I'll be taking classes for the next few months, classroom 2-C in the main building of the school. After making sure I look at least presentable, I reach out and slowly pull open the door, immediately being pinned by the gazes of the maidens of Vincennes.

"Oh, my... he's in our class?"

"Why did he have to be here?"

"You have to be kidding me..."

I hear whispers like this propagate through the room, but before I can do more than walk into the room, the whispers are interrupted by a voice from the door.

"Now, now, settle down, everyone." It's Sister Mishima. Seems like she's my homeroom teacher. "Ah, Masaya-kun. I'm happy to see you."

"Likewise, Sister," I nod to her. "This will apparently be my classroom for the next few months."

"I see. Please, do take a seat."

"Anywhere?"

"Oh, of course. Everyone, please return to your designated seats."

With a flurry of movement, each of the girls moved to a different seat. I was honestly impressed by this, as it seemed they remembered which was their seat easily and didn't need nameplates or anything similar. Once that was all done, the girls stared at Mishima and I expectantly.

"Now, where should you sit, Masaya-kun?" Mishima asked with curiosity.

"Sister!" A hand suddenly raised near the back of the room, and I noticed that it was Rise's. "Since I am the one that brought Masaya-san here, I think it would be best that he sit next to me." She waves her hand to a conveniently empty seat to her left.

"I see. Very well, Masaya-kun, please take a seat," the Mishima nods with a smile.

I move to the seat that Rise had motioned to, once again ignoring the stares of the girls around me. Awkward as this may be, I needed to tough it out.

Once I sat, I gave a quick smile to Rise, which she returned, before facing forward and steeling myself for my first day of classes.

...

The morning classes passed without a hitch, and sometime near noon, the bell rang, signalling lunchtime.

"Come, Masaya-san, let's go to lunch," Rise called out to me, already halfway out of the room.

"Coming, coming," I called back, lifting my backpack to my shoulders and giving one or two nods to the staring and whispering girls before walking outside. To my surprise, I spotted someone just inside my field of vision quickly scamper off, entering the classroom next to ours, 2-B.

"Odd, but not unexpected," I muse as I follow Rise's pink hair down the hall.

The lunch room is a large, well-detailed room where nearly half the school was already on line for the food. Rise gave me a rundown of how the lunch system worked here as we lined up at the queue. It was only minutes later that we got our food, though I wasn't sure exactly what I was eating. It didn't particularly matter to me, though, since I wasn't a picky eater in any sense. The rice and bean paste I had in the morning attest to that.

Rise and I talk most of the lunch hour away, with her explaining some of Vincennes' customs and culture, but halfway through, a girl walks up to our table, wearing one of the oddest hats I'd seen, which covers her dark red tresses somewhat messily. She also has a camera hanging around her neck.

"Well, look at what we've got here. The new transfer student of Vincennes!" Her voice had a tone to it I found hard to place, but in the end, I settled for 'happy', which was probably the closest I could get. "Salutations, Rise-san," she added, giving a nod to Rise, who nodded back.

"And who might you be?" I asked after swallowing my food.

"The name is Nogi Tamie, school reporter extraordinaire known as the Sombre Scanner!" Tamie introduced herself with the flair of someone very proud of themselves, and if the looks Rise was sending her were any indication, she should be.

"Well met, Tamie-san," I said politely, holding out my hand for a shake. "Okonogi Masaya, transfer student extraordinaire."

"Well met indeed," Tamie said, shaking my hands excitedly. Once she released it, she immediately pulled up a chair and sat next to us, pulling out a microphone, a pen, and a notepad from inside her hat, though she did it so quickly and smoothly that I'm sure anyone else would have missed it. "Now, down to business! I'm sure everyone in the school is dying to know who you are, Masaya-san, and each one for their own reasons! So how about an interview, eh?"

Rise seemed both shocked and a little outraged, but I gave her a quick look, keeping her silent for now. Looking back at Tamie, I said, "I'd agree, but first, I'd like to know just what the interview will be about."

"Just about yourself, Masaya-san," Tamie responded truthfully. "Your history, what led you to come to Vincennes, etcetera!"

When she mentioned my past, I had to hold back a grimace. I didn't know if I should talk about that. But, at the same time, several of my friends continuously told me that my past was not something to hide from or to feel ashamed about, but something to gain strength from. So, maybe... it wouldn't be so bad to open up a little.

"Very well, then," I nod at Tamie. "An interview you shall have."

"Awesome!" Tamie cries out, drawing the attention of the girls around us.

"However..."

Now that word calmed her down quickly.

"I'm only going to talk about the situation that brought me to Vincennes, and not my past. Not just yet, anyways."

"Aww, but why not? I'm sure that's what most of the girls want to hear!" Tamie exclaimed sadly, and I thought I saw some of the girls around us nod in agreement out of the corner of my eye. Heck, even Rise seemed a little let down.

"Two reasons," I say clearly, mostly so that anyone that's listening can understand. "First, it's a bit of a long story and I doubt I can say both that and the events that brought me here in the time we have left for lunch. But mostly... It's... not something I'm exactly proud of, and a little difficult for me to say. I need some time to get together how I'm going to explain it, so give me until later today or tomorrow, alright?"

Something on my face or in my tone seems to have worked, because the faces of Tamie and Rise become oddly sympathetic. Tamie gives me a nod. "Sure thing, Masaya-san. Take as much time as you need."

Thus, with Rise backing up my descriptions as a witness, I explained to Tamie just what had happened the night that Rise and I met. I told her of seeing Rise at the small restaurant I frequented weekly, then of the confrontation I had with the Gardiane (making sure to stress the fact that I'd caught them by surprise. The last thing I wanted was to bring down the Gardiane's reputation), then of the following confrontation I had with the Goons and my actions against Kyoshi. Rise made sure to describe my words to the letter, then she took the reins and told Tamie of the explanation she had given me about the situation of Vincennes and what would normally be expected of me if I chose to be a student here. She followed up by explaining that I had walked her back to Vincennes, making it sound like I had been very gentlemanly. Finally, I explained about quitting my temporary job and packing my things, then of what had happened when I arrived, finishing the explanation just as the bell rang to signal the end of lunch.

"Wow, I have a lot of info to write down," Tamie sighed as we stood and headed back to class. She turned to me. "So, would you mind if I passed by your room this afternoon after classes, or would that be too soon?"

I thought about it a little, then figured that there wouldn't be an issue with that, so I nodded. "Sure, that sounds just fine."

"Alright!" Tamie nearly squealed. With a wave, she took off down a side hallway, while Rise and I continued down the same path to our classroom.

"So that's Nogi Tamie-san," I wondered aloud. "Quite the energetic girl, isn't she?"

"Indeed, Masaya-san," Rise agreed. "She takes her job extremely seriously, but with an air of fun as well."

I simply nodded in response as we continued walking. While I didn't voice it aloud, I could feel someone's eyes on me, and not in a good way. I looked around surreptitiously, but I was only able to catch a flash of brown before whoever it was ducked into a classroom. How odd.

...


	3. Chapter 3

We arrived to our classroom with time to spare before the next class, but during the wait, a surprise visitor came.

I was sitting at my seat, arms crossed, eyes closed, and head down, using my ears to define the world around me by sound. This was a little exercise I had started all on my own. I'd found that if I used my sense of hearing alone and isolated the sounds I heard, my hearing when using all five senses would sharpen as well. I'd used this little exercise for the entire two years that I had been under my master's training, which is why I could pick out certain sounds even in crowded places.

I could hear a gaggle of girls off at one corner of the room, surrounding none other than Rise, who sounded like she had been through this multiple times and now didn't mind it in the slightest. The girls were all asking her questions about me, naturally, as none of them seemed courageous enough to actually come up to me and ask me the questions themselves. Things such as what kind of person I was, how we'd met, and, most embarrassingly to Rise, if we were an item. After some time, I thought it would be best for me to step in, but before I could even open my eyes, I heard the door of our classroom opening, and two pairs of footsteps walked into the room. It was followed by several gasps.

"Marika-sama, salutations," several people greeted, though others simply remained quiet and only breathed a little quicker.

"Marika-sama, what brings you here?" Rise asked, her voice surprised, but also more than a little guarded.

"Oh, no need to bow, Rise," a light, female voice said, with a tone that sounded high and mighty to me. I could feel two pairs of eyes aimed my way, though. "I've simply come to meet our new transfer student... personally."

The two pairs of feet I'd heard began walking again, this time my way. With a sigh, I un-crossed my arms and stood up, studying the two girls that had entered the room. The first one was a bright-blonde woman that seemed to be a little older than me, with regal facial features and an impressive bust. She was looking my way with an expectant look, and I could see that her poise and walk screamed 'haughtily confident'.

Just behind her was a girl that seemed to be my age, with neck-length purple hair and a scowl on her face aimed in my direction. She had a cute little mole under her left eye, and while her bust was not at the level of the blonde woman she was following, her legs were definitely better looking, maybe because she was actually showing them off instead of wearing stockings.

The duo stopped just in front of me, and the blonde chick's eyes immediately locked onto mine with a challenge I had no intention of losing. I stared right into her sea-green eyes, meeting her gaze head on. She had a sight that almost expected me to back down and bow almost immediately, but not in an 'I'm better than you' kind of way but an 'everyone else does it so I guess you will too'. I wasn't about to give her that satisfaction.

We stared into each other's eyes for close to an entire minute, neither saying a word nor giving ground. Finally, however, I won our wordless match when she closed her eyes and looked down momentarily, and I could tell that all the girls around us understood the gesture and were quite shocked at the outcome.

"You're definitely a new person here, Masaya-kun," the blonde woman spoke, looking my way once again. "You don't seem to be intimidated in the slightest."

"With all due respect, miss," I spoke in an emotionless tone. "I've seen a lot of things over the past three years. Compared to that, you do not intimidate me."

The young woman, who I assumed was this Marika everyone kept mentioning in awe, seemed to be surprised at my answer, as were the girls around us. The purple-haired girl behind her, though, was not amused, as her scowl deepened considerably and she stepped forward, trying to intimidate be by invading my personal space, though since she was at least three inches shorter than I was, it was a futile effort. In fact, she reminded me of a Chihuahua.

"Who do you think you are? Show respect to Marika-sama," the girl demanded.

I didn't answer just yet, choosing to glare into her eyes, my sight a bit more harsh than it was with Marika, considering she was choosing to invade my personal bubble. This girl was much more easily cowed than Marika, though, since she stepped back warily, her eyes widening considerably.

"First of all, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't step up to me like that," I spoke in an annoyed tone. "Second, I did say 'with all due respect'. I had no intention of insulting her. I was simply stating the truth. Third, you're being a bit hypocritical with your statement when neither of you have introduced yourselves."

The short-haired girl was left gaping like a fish out of water at my words, and while I didn't look, I could tell that the girls around us were the same way.

"You're quite correct on all points, Masaya-kun," the blonde woman spoke up, eyeing me with a little admiration. "I am Myougi Marika, Final Course third year student and the student council president. I am also known as both **La Toute Soeur** and **Grande Fleur**."

"Well met, Marika-sama," I said, nodding my head. "I'm sure you already know who I am."

"Indeed. Mitsuki," Marika suddenly spoke to her companion, the now-named Mitsuki. "Do introduce yourself properly."

"Yes, Onee-sama," Mitsuki said a little sullenly. She turned to face me, her eyes guarded. "I am Mekata Mitsuki, the **Chef de Corps**."

"Everyone's Big Sister and the Captain of the Guard... you've got interesting titles," I say.

"You know French?" One of the girls around us asks.

"Only enough to get by, but yes," I nod.

The conversation would like have gone on, but just then, the door slid open and our next teacher stepped inside, immediately noticing the standoff going on between the two girls and I.

"Marika, Mitsuki, shouldn't you be getting to class?" the teacher spoke, trying to diffuse the tension. "You'll be late at this rate."

"Yes," Marika agreed, putting a hand on Mitsuki's shoulder. "Mitsuki, we should be going."

"Yes, Onee-sama," Mitsuki agreed almost immediately, turning away from me and walking to the front of the room. However, when she realised that Marika hadn't followed, she turned back. "Onee-sama-."

Marika, however, wasn't paying attention, since she and I were once again locked into an eye standoff. Marika seemed to be trying much harder this time to make me submit, but, like before, it was futile.

In the end, she closed her eyes and turned away, smiling at me over her shoulder. "I think we'll have an interesting year with you around, Masaya-kun."

"I was hoping for a simple, uneventful year, but I guess that's not going to happen," I respond with a smirk. "If I may ask something, though?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you call me 'Masaya-kun'? I understand one refers to their juniors without a suffix, and we aren't so far apart in age that the -kun would normally apply."

Marika seemed honestly surprised at my question. She took a small moment to think on it, then asked, "Do you not like it?"

"It isn't that. I'm simply curious. Are you so attached to me already?"

"I am the student president. Whether I am or not, I cannot get involved in the matters of your stay."

"Now those are political words, but I'm sure we don't have time to have an in-depth chat of your immediate attachment to me. Therefore, I wish you a good day, Marika-sama."

And with those words, I have her a quick, two-finger salute and sat down, going back to my previous position and leaving behind a group of startled young women. I could tell that someone, probably either Marika or Mitsuki, was boring holes into me with their gaze as they left, but I never looked up.

...

The rest of the classes went by pretty awkwardly. The girls all around me were giving me a range of mixed looks, though the only one I really registered was Rise's, and she simply looked at me with admiring eyes that I was sure she thought she was concealing. They were still very easy to spot.

Finally, classes ended, and Rise and I were two of the first ones out of the classroom. I was about to head back to my room, but Rise grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Hold on, Masaya-san," Rise spoke. "I would like you to accompany me to a meeting I'm going to in a moment."

"Why?"

"It's a meeting at my grandmother's room. She called for the White Lily and Red Rose associations."

"I think I'd understand this better if I knew what those were," I said in a deadpan tone.

"Right," Rise said sheepishly. "I'll explain on the way, but I'm sure the meeting will be about you and what effect you'll have on the debate between the associations, so you may as well be present."

As she said, she explained about the two associations during the walk. She was part of the White Lily Society, the reformist side, in a way. The Red Rose Society was their opponent, or the traditionalist side.

When we arrived, Rise knocked lightly, and we stepped inside, both of us bowing to the chairwoman. Only a moment later, I heard a sputter of outrage.

"Rise-san, why have you brought _him_ here?"

I recognised that voice. Looking up, I was a little surprised to see none other than Mitsuki looking at me with distrust.

"I predicted that our meeting would be about this year's debate and vote, and that directly influences him," Rise calmly explained. "I simply decided he should be here for it."

"You do not have the authority to make that call," Mitsuki exclaimed.

"Now, now, settle down, girls," Rise's grandmother stepped in, silencing both girls. "Rise's actually correct. I would have called Masaya-kun here regardless, so this saves us time."

Both girls took seats by their respective associations, and since I wasn't an actual participant, I simply leaned against the wall next to the door and focused on the proceedings. The beginning of the meeting went smoothly, with the Red Rose Society declaring their standpoint on the gender integration idea. However, when Rise declared that the White Lily Society would be on the reforming side, things went south fast. The girls of the White Lily Society began to immediately quit, claiming their own reasons for doing so, though it all centred around one point.

They weren't all that interested in school reform.

Only a minute later, Rise found herself staring sadly at the door, a handful of blue ribbons in her limp hand.

"Well then," Mitsuki's smug voice cut the silence. "It seems you're in quite a pinch, Rise-san. All of your supporters just went out that door."

I figured it was time for me to step in.

"Okay, I'm going to have to stop you right there," I spoke, bringing the girls' sights my way. "I think you meant to say 'almost all', right?"

"What are you talking about?" Mitsuki asked in bewilderment.

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Masaya-san..." Rise breathed out.

"You are out of bounds on this one," Mitsuki said. "You are not a representative, and as such, you cannot help Rise."

"I'm sorry, what? Madame Rousenin, is there a rule in place that declares it unlawful for a student to help their favoured association on their own free will?"

"No, Masaya-kun, there isn't," the chairwoman said firmly.

"See? 'Almost all'," I said with a smirk, further enraging Mitsuki. I turned away from them and faced the door, placing my hand on the knob. "Madame Rousenin, is that all that's to be discussed by the associations?"

"Yes, Masaya-kun. Why?"

"Fantastic. Then may Rise and I be excused?"

"Of course," the chairwoman said, and I could hear the smile on her face.

"Thank you. Come, Rise," I looked at the frozen girl over my shoulder. "We have a lot of planning to do if we wish to succeed, don't we?"

"R-Right!" Rise exclaimed, following me out the door.

...

"You really are an amazing person, Masaya-san," Rise said when we stepped outside.

"Am I?"

Rise nodded hurriedly.

"Well, thank you, I suppose," I responded, a bit bashful. After clearing my throat, I said, "Now, what exactly do we need to do?"

"For today, nothing," Rise answered. "Tomorrow, the vote for leader of the society begins after classes in Maria Hall, where the representatives will choose the society's leader. Though, as you saw, we have no more representatives." Her voice became morose at her last sentence.

"Then that just means that you're going to be leader for sure, right?" I meant it in a mirthful way, but Rise didn't smile, so I placed my hand on her chin to lift her face level to mine and gave her an encouraging smile. "Come on, Soleil D'Ecole, I want to see that legendary determination in you come out again! We have a few months to go until the first vote, so let's make them count!"

Now that got her up and running.

"You're right, Masaya-san!" Rise cried out. "We will win this!"

"Yeah!"

We exchanged a high five.

Some minutes later, after she explained what our next move would be, we finally separated.

...

That evening, I was sitting on my bed and playing with a puzzle cube I had bought the week before when I heard a knock at my door.

"Come in," I called out, sighing.

The door opened, and in stepped Tamie and Rise, but also another young woman.

"Tamie-san, Rise-san," I nodded in their direction, then turned to the other girl. "Ruriko-san, what brings you here?"

"You two know each other?" Tamie asked before Ruriko could answer.

"Yes," Ruriko answered her with a smile. "We met this morning in the Rose Garden."

"I-In the Rose Garden?!" Rise exclaimed.

"I passed by there on my morning run," I explained quickly, calming her down. "She was by one of the tables with her pet, Panterbell, so I stopped and introduced myself to her, whereupon she offered me a baguette. Quite tasty."

Both Rise and Tamie giggled at that, and Ruriko closed her eyes and smiled proudly.

"Also, where's Panterbell?" I asked Ruriko.

"He is currently asleep on my pillow," Ruriko giggled.

"A proper place to be asleep," I nodded.

I knew I was simply delaying things, but it was still difficult for me.

Tamie seemed to be thinking the same way. "Do you think you need more time, Masaya-san?"

I looked at my knees without really seeing them. I could feel the questioning gazes of the girls on my head, and in the end, I think that's what made me cement my decision.

"No..." I breathed out. "If I keep delaying this, I'll never speak about it. Let's get this over with."

Nodding, Tamie brought out her tools and prepared herself while Rise and Ruriko got comfortable. When she was ready, Tamie gave me a nod.

"Alright, Masaya-san," Tamie spoke seriously. "Whenever you're ready."

With a nod, I sighed and began.

...

The next morning, I found a surprise waiting for me.

I had gone on my morning run as usual, meeting up with Aiko once again. She was definitely more relaxed this time, and we spent the majority of the run talking about different things, such as our likes, dislikes, hobbies, and things of the sort. While Aiko didn't have the same air of sheltering that Rise and nearly every other girl here had, it was clear she was still a bit naive about some things.

After parting, I made my way to my dormitory, my bag and track jacket hanging over my shoulder. Just as I turned the corner of the hallway that led to my room, though, I immediately moved back as quietly as I could and leaned against the wall, holding my breath in.

The reason? Two girls I recognised as Myougi Marika and Mekata Mitsuki were currently standing just in front of my door, and I had nearly been spotted by Mitsuki.

 _Now doesn_ _'_ _t this feel familiar?_

I kept a sharp ear out, isolating the sounds as best as I could. Both girls were talking in hushed voices, and I understood that they thought I was deeply asleep or something similar. Mitsuki was suggesting that they simply barge into my room, but Marika seemed to be more level-headed, content to just wait outside for me to answer eventually.

With a sigh, I realised that these two really weren't a threat and, picking up my dropped bag, I turned the corner and approached the duo.

Surprisingly, Marika was the first to notice me, as she looked to the side and immediately locked onto my form, surprise etched on her face.

"Masaya-kun?" she asked.

"Do you know of another male in this school?" I asked sarcastically.

Mitsuki nearly jumped out of her skin when I spoke, since I had approached her almost silently, a habit I had started some time ago. She flinched and turned wildly, losing her balance, so both Marika and I reached out and steadied her, grabbing one arm each.

"Easy there, Mitsuki-san," I said calmly. "I'm not a ghost." When she glared at me, I continued with a frown. "I'm not your enemy, either. No need for the glaring." Turning back to Marika, I asked, "Is there something you needed?"

"Ah, we have some business to discuss with you, Masaya-san," Marika said with a simple smile. "May we come in?"

I stared at Marika for a few seconds, sizing her up, but in the end, I relented with a shrug. "Eh, sure."

Turning, I dropped my bag next to the door and pulled out my key, though dropping the bag wasn't strictly necessary. I only did it to pull off the tape attached to the door without giving away what it was. The less people that knew about it, the better.

After opening the door, I step in and leave it open for the two girls to enter, tossing my bag onto my bed. As they walk in, I go to my refrigerator and pull out a bottle of iced tea, of which I had about ten in stock, with this one already half drunk. Opening it, I gulp down the rest of the contents, all the while keenly listening to what's happening in the next room, though the only thing I hear is the sound of the door closing.

Deciding it's best to get this over with, I toss the now empty bottle in the trash and walk back into my room, noticing that both girls were looking around keenly, though they immediately look my way when I came back.

"Alright then, what's this all about, especially this early?"

It was half an hour past five, quite early no matter how you slice it.

"I apologise for coming this early, but I did not wish to disturb the Filles De La Vincennes," Marika responds vaguely.

"Get to the point of this visit," I say, narrowing my eyes.

"Please allow us to search your room."

Her counter-bluntness gave me pause.

"I beg your pardon?" I ask for a little clarification.

"I have often heard that boys carry 'forbidden objects'. We wish to search for them," Marika states, complete with a smile.

I stare at her incredulously for a short while, then tilt my head back and laugh, startling the both of them.

"Oh, this is rich," I chuckle, shaking my head. "And what exactly gives you this right, Marika-sama? Last I checked, your student council president duties do not include searching students' rooms for 'forbidden objects'." I made air quotes around the word exaggeratedly.

"I am aware," Marika said, her smile dimming. "I am merely asking you."

"And if I refuse?" I challenge her.

"Then I will not be able to trust you, Masaya-kun," Marika responded, smiling widely.

"Is that so?"

I knew that that could be bad. Marika was the student council president, and as such, she carried a lot of weight in any decision the students made, mostly because of her popularity.

"You do know the Gardiane already searched my luggage, right?" I ask her.

"I cannot believe you," she shot back with her infernal smile. "Not until I see it with my own eyes."

"Fine then," I finally say with a smirk, lifting up three fingers. "You have thirty minutes."

"Pardon?" It seemed Marika wasn't expecting that.

"While you search," I begin, reaching for my towel, "I'll be taking a shower, and that's usually how long I take. If you're still here by the time I exit the bathroom, you can decide whether you're satisfied or not."

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Masaya-san," Mitsuki spoke up with a frown. "We cannot search while you're still here."

"And I'm afraid that that's all you're going to get," I respond seriously. "You're lucky that I'm actually letting you search my room, considering I still don't trust either of you myself."

"Neither of us will take nor damage any of your possessions, Masaya-kun," Marika pointed out.

"I cannot believe you," I responded, mimicking her smile from earlier.

That got a rise out of her, as I could see a flash of annoyance pass by her eyes.

"Now, thirty minutes. You're still here by then, you'll get to see me in all my naked glory, so you decide."

Both girls blushed madly at that.

"W-w-what are you talking about?! Have you no decency?" Mitsuki whisper-yelled.

I shrugged in response. "I have just enough. This _is_ my room, and I'm not particularly ashamed of my body." I walked to the bathroom and opened the door. "If you leave before the thirty minutes are up, just knock on the bathroom door to let me know. Have fun."

And with that, I entered the bathroom and closed the door, leaving behind a startled and blushing pair of girls.

…

Truthfully, the shower took only a little bit less time than I had told them, but I still waited out the five extra minutes, since they hadn't knocked on the door to signal their departure.

On the dot, I opened the bathroom door slowly, a towel placed firmly around my lower area despite my earlier words. When I entered the room, I was greeted with the hilarious sight of Marika kneeling on my bed and searching the small cabinets just above it, and Mitsuki bent nearly ninety degrees while she searched the bottom of the closet.

I didn't hesitate to make the hilarity known with a laugh, which startled them both and caused Marika to bop her head against the frame of the bed.

"Masaya-kun?!" The blonde exclaimed, staring at my chest for a few moments before looking away hurriedly with a massive blush.

Mitsuki didn't say anything, probably because she was still staring.

I'm not one to brag, but I was quite proud of the body I'd gotten through my training, though I was more thankful of the lessons I learned from it.

"Time's up, ladies," I say after my chuckles subside, immediately heading for the closet, and by proxy, for Mitsuki, who finally reacts and almost throws herself away from it.

I pay her no mind and begin to search through my things, pulling out underwear, socks, and the rest of my usual school outfit. Turning back to the bed, where Marika is still kneeling, I lay it all down by the pillow. I reach for the knot holding my towel closed, then pretend to look up in surprise and ask, "You plan to watch me change?"

The girls couldn't have hurried out of the room any faster, though Marika remained long enough to say that she was satisfied with her search but didn't yet trust me fully because she hadn't seen my character. I didn't pay that any mind and waited until they were fully gone before actually changing. When I was done, I looked to a corner of the room where a couple of my clothes rested and smiled cheekily before heading out for the day.

…

When I told Rise what had happened, she got quite angry at Marika.

"That woman..." she growled, but seemed content to leave the rest in her mind. After taking in a deep breath, she looked at me with her usual smile. "I have to commend you on your way of handling the situation, Masaya-san. I imagine that the way you act has given Marika-sama a fresh perspective on people in general."

"I certainly hope so. The last thing any of us need is another person in this world that believes they're infallible."

...

At lunchtime, I became aware that there were many girls that were staring at me, either with sympathy or scepticism, in equal amounts. I didn't need to wonder why, though.

It seemed Tamie's article had made a few rounds already.

Curious myself, I walked over to where the newspapers were and picked one up myself. The headline read, " **Okonogi Masaya reveals his past!** "

Simple, truthful, and to the point. I had to commend her for it.

As I ate my lunch, I read through the paper.

…

 _This all began about one and a half years ago._

 _My family life wasn_ _'_ _t the best, but it wasn_ _'_ _t the worst either. My mother was a respectable woman who loved me deeply. I couldn_ _'_ _t say the same for my father, though. He was a man who was slick with his words. He had learned from a young age how to speak to people in a way that, if he truly wanted, he could convince you to do anything. He was also a compulsive borrower, but unfortunately, he never paid back any of his debts. Instead, he would talk to the collectors and somehow convince them to extend his deadline more and more, and as the deadline kept getting pushed back, his debts kept increasing._

 _In the end, my mother had enough of the man and decided to divorce him, but before she left, she pulled me aside to tell me she was leaving and that she wanted to take me with her then and there so that my father wouldn_ _'_ _t be able to sweet talk anyone that could prevent her from leaving._

 _Unfortunately for myself, I was a rather stubborn child with a very na_ _ï_ _ve mind_ _…_ _and as such, I refused to go with her._

 _She tried very hard to get me to go, but in the end, a week later, she finally relented, and left without a backward glance._

 _The year after that was an extremely rough one. My father and I hardly had enough to live on, and I was forced to take on a multitude of jobs in order to maintain the house. I_ _'_ _ve done many things, from secretary work to cleaning skyscraper windows, and through it all, I felt that soon, everything would turn out for the better._

 _But it was a fool_ _'_ _s hope._

 _My father_ _'_ _s debts got so bad that the debt collectors decided to use their final resort: they transferred the debt to the mafia. Almost every day, we would get accosted by two Goons that had been hired to handle the collection, though thankfully my father was skilled enough with his words that he was able to diffuse the situation enough to keep us safe._

 _After a few months, however, they finally had enough and came after us full force, and we were forced to flee the city._

 _My father decided that we should simply leave, and since I wasn_ _'_ _t actually attending school at that point, it having become nearly impossible with the amount of jobs I had to juggle, I agreed and went with him._

 _We travelled for an entire day, taking train after train and bus after bus. The man seemed to have no idea where he was going, but in the end, we settled for a small apartment in a city near a cape that we were able to rent with the money I had earned at my jobs. We thought that we were safe now, and thus, we let our guards down._

 _That was my worst mistake._

 _I don_ _'_ _t remember fully what happened back then, and truthfully, I don_ _'_ _t want to remember. But I do have snippets of memory here and there._

 _From what I can piece together, the Goons had followed us easily and found out where we lived. They had simply come and knocked on the door, and I was the one who opened it. Lucky for me, I_ _'_ _d say, because they didn_ _'_ _t seem to have any particular issue towards me. They simply knocked me out with a powerful hit to the temple._

 _Everything after that was a blur, but when I woke up, it was far past midnight, the Goons were gone_ _…_ _and my father was dead._

…


	4. Chapter 4

I stopped reading here to shake my head. I recalled the super shocked looks the girls had when I said that. I had said it in a monotone voice, but I think that simply added to the atmosphere, because they had all frozen in alarm. Regardless, I had continued the story, as I knew that if I stopped then, I'd never be able to continue it.

…

 _Before the Goons left, they tied me to a chair and left me there. They had done a similar thing to my father, since, even in the pale moonlight, I could see his body slumped over and roped down. I_ _'_ _d rather not get into the details, but let_ _'_ _s just say that his death was not a quick one._

 _I don_ _'_ _t know how long I spent in that apartment. It could have been hours; it could have been days. All I know is that I saw the sun rise and fall once and again, and soon, I could feel myself growing weak from the lack of food and water. If I couldn_ _'_ _t have moved a muscle when I woke up, it was impossible a day after._

 _I thought I was going to die. No_ _…_ _I was certain that that was my fate. I had taken my path in life, and in the end, I was going to die tied up to a chair in front of my father_ _'_ _s corpse._

 _But then, salvation came in a most unexpected manner._

 _There was a knock at the door, but with my weakness, I couldn_ _'_ _t call out and ask for help. The knocker was persistent, and I tried my hardest to make it known. In the end, I nearly ripped out my vocal chords yelling at the person to come in. It felt like so long before the person came in that I was sure I had lost my only chance, but after a few moments, the door was pushed open and someone came in._

 _It had been a girl, no more than seventeen years old at the most, though her stature and general air would have most people think she was younger. From what I understood after I recovered, she had been going around the neighbourhood basically greeting all of the people there. She would stop by an apartment and simply knock and say hi before going to the next one. My apartment had been the last on her list, and it was a hell of a way to close the mission._

 _She was really quick on the draw and immediately called for help, and in a few minutes, I was in an ambulance and on my way to the hospital._

 _From what I was told, I spent about a month there, recovering from the severe lack of nutrients and water my body had. I was unconscious most of the time, but I remember briefly waking up. Every time I did, it was night time, and every time, the memory of what had happened to my father would invade my mind, making me fall unconscious again simply to escape that reality._

 _During that entire time, thankfully, I received visitors. My mother couldn_ _'_ _t come personally, but she called the hospital nearly every day in order to hear about how I was doing. And in that month, the same girl that had found me came to visit me at times, sometimes bringing her friends along, though she didn_ _'_ _t have many. I couldn_ _'_ _t recall the times that they came, but I could feel their presence there, and it always helped to calm me down. The girl, whose name I learned was Makina, would also leave drawings, candy, and an assortment of other things on my bedside table, and they always helped to cheer me up._

 _Soon, I found myself becoming numb to the idea that my father was dead, and with that, I was finally able to open my eyes fully and awaken. The first thing that happened to me was that I met Makina, and I wasted no time in thanking her for saving me. Soon enough, she introduced me to her friends, and I found myself smiling in a long time in a while._

 _It was something that wouldn_ _'_ _t last._

 _Once I was physically fit enough to walk on my own and be released from the hospital, the doctor took me aside to his office, telling me he had bad news. As it turned out, my mother had suddenly stopped calling the hospital one day, despite the fact that she had done so nearly every day for the past month. Naturally, my nurse was curious about it, so she told my doctor, who proceeded to make some calls when I was nearly out of there._

 _I found out from him_ _…_ _that the Goons had gone after her as well._

 _…_

I paused once again in my reading to close my eyes and push that memory back. It was one of my hardest ones, and I knew that the girls knew it as well. They had been extremely shocked by the fact that I was an orphan, and I could feel the sympathy coming from the three of them.

Shaking my head and downing half of a bottle of water I'd gotten, I continued reading.

…

 _The news of her death hit me much harder than that of my father's. I fell into a moderate depression, and despite the doctor_ _'_ _s suggestions, I refused to stay any longer at the hospital. I felt ashamed at myself, and continuously cursed myself for not going with her. But then I remembered that the Goons had come after my father as well, and even though I_ _'_ _d been with him, that had also ended in death. In short, I felt like an utter waste of space. Like someone who didn_ _'_ _t deserve to live._

 _And Makina almost immediately realised something was wrong when I exited the doctor_ _'_ _s office. She basically forced me to come with her to her school, which I have to admit isn_ _'_ _t all that different from Vincennes. It was a boarding school of its own, and including Makina, there were only six students there, plus the principal. They had several empty rooms, so the principal allowed me to stay in one of them in order to recover fully._

 _I didn_ _'_ _t leave the room for close to three days. I couldn_ _'_ _t process the fact that my parents were both dead and I was now an orphan. The only reason I didn_ _'_ _t return to the hospital, either as a patient_ _…_ _or in a body bag_ _…_ _was because Makina made it her mission to keep me well fed and taken care of, and the other Mishima students (Mishima being the name of the school) had decided to help her with it. Thus, I found myself with seven friends, if you include the principal, who all helped me recover with all of their strength._

 _I honestly resented them for it at first. I asked myself why they wouldn't just let me die. I truly wanted to at some points of my stay there, but something would always hold me back from committing suicide. And usually, it was the continued presence of the Mishima Academy students that kept me sane._

 _I didn't think it would happen, but I actually began to slowly recover from my depression. It was almost impossible to remain depressed around Makina's constant happy attitude, and soon, that attitude began to rub off on me. Once I felt recovered enough to come out of my room fully, I met the only other man in that school, the man who would help me change myself and my destiny for the better._

 _That man is my master, Kazami Yuuji._

 _..._

A smile came to my face when I remembered my master. While he wasn't what many would call expressive, he was a good man that needed a purpose in life. I always wondered if he had chosen training me as that purpose.

...

 _When I was finally able to explain to the entire group my situation and how I had felt, Yuuji took it upon himself to train me. He would work me to the bone every day, and for some time, I thought he was going to kill me with his training._

 _But soon, I began to see the effects of the training. I could feel myself growing stronger, faster, and smarter as well. Since I wasn't enrolled in a school, the principal agreed to accept me for a year under a scholarship, and during that entire year, I trained under Yuuji and grew closer to my new friends._

 _I had gained a new family._

 _But near the end of the year, I knew there were things I needed to finish. If the Goons had gone after my mother, they were definitely coming after me, and I had no plans to let them put my friends in danger. So when my year was done, and when my master had taught me everything he could in that time, I packed up my things and left. I had felt a sense of deja vu, because it was the second time I ran out on a friend because I feared for their life. The only exception was that this time, I was able to say goodbye._

 _I made my way back to Tsurugigaoka, and when I arrived, I immediately got myself a simple apartment and a job. With those two out of the way, I waited, and a month later, the Goons showed themselves. This time, I was prepared to finish things with them. I felt extreme anger at them because of their killing of my parents, but even then... I couldn't do it. I couldn't take a life. And because of my hesitation, they got away._

 _Since then, they've harassed me constantly, trying to get me to pay up the debt my father had accrued. I've told them time and again that I wasn't going to do it, but they're nothing if not resilient._

 _I spent about three months with this routine, fending off the attacks and harassment of the Goons weekly. I was thinking that I'd need to seriously disappear from Japan entirely if I wanted to ever settle down when I met Rise. And, well, you already know the story behind that encounter._

 _..._

Tamie wrapped up the story with her own observations, stating that she could see how heavily this weighted on me and that she had been impressed that I had survived so much. Honestly, I felt that it painted me in a bigger light that I thought I deserved, but the article was well written nonetheless, so I let it slide.

Finishing up my food, I stood and walked back to class.

...

 **Two days later...**

...

Today was the first day I had gym class, and as such, I quickly found out that my class would be separate from the girls, which I expected. I mean, I was already separated in pretty much everything else, so why would this be an exception?

In preparation for that, though, I had ordered something the day before from a store in Tsurugigaoka, which had been delivered late in the afternoon, just after Tamie's interview had ended. Truthfully, I was surprised that the headmistress had allowed me to buy this through the intranet of the school, but I suppose that the explanation I gave her was good enough to grudgingly allow it.

So, after telling Rise to go on ahead to the gym, I quickly ran to my room and picked up the object. What was this object, you ask?

A punching bag.

Well, it was actually a standing heavy bag, since the gym didn't have a place for me to hang a regular punching bag, but it was just fine.

I received a multitude of surprised looks when the girls of my class saw me bring the large thing in, and even the teacher was startled, which surprised me in turn. Hadn't she been told?

"Masaya, what is that?" The teacher asked, approaching me.

"A punching bag meant for martial arts and strength training," I explained. "I ordered it yesterday, with the headmistress' approval."

That last part seemed to surprise her the most. "Very well, I suppose. As you know, you will have the right side of the gym available to you, but you're expected to share if the girls are in need of it."

"That's fine," I agreed, placing the bag in the centre of my area, where it drew many curious looks. Picking up my book bag, I went to the teacher's bathroom to change.

...

When I came back to the gym, I found an interesting sight: the girls, the teacher included, were circling my punching bag and studying it, feeling the leather, poking it, etc. I stood there, smirking at the group of girls, before I let my presence be known with a small cough.

The girls immediately sprang away from the thing, looking at me in a bashful way. With a shake of my head, I said, "If you ladies are done with your studying, I'd like to get started."

The girls slowly moved back to their side. However, once there, they simply remained standing and decided to stare at me expectantly. With a shake of my head at the absurdity of it all, I pushed the thought of the girls, and every other thought, out of my head and focused on the enemy, which was currently the punching bag. I could visualise an enemy figure in its place, which I chose to be Kyoshi. Tightening my fingerless gloves a little, I got into my standard fighting pose, with one hand clenched at my waist, while the other was stretched out in front of me in a ninety degree angle, ready to intercept anything that came my way. I controlled my breathing, making sure I was visualising the enemy well, then...

I struck out with a fast right jab, landing it squarely on the centre of the bag, which emitted a sound of stretching leather and rushing air. Continuing my movements, I twisted around an imaginary retaliatory punch and threw one of my own at where the opponent's side would be, then pulled back and threw up a roundhouse kick that made the bag bend forward shortly.

My style was a dominating kind. I would wait for my opponent's move, maybe goad them into making one if necessary, then deflect that attack and mercilessly return a barrage until I can or need to safely back out. Rinse and repeat.

I continue my strength training, making sure to use most of the attacks in my arsenal in order to keep them well trained on. I'm not sure for how long I've been mercilessly attacking this poor bag by now, but when I deem it time to back away, I've already worked up a damn good sweat, though my breathing is still normal as a result of my morning runs. I wait for a few moments, changing the opponent I was visualising, then attack again.

...

By the time class is over, my muscles are burning and I'm soaked in a light amount of sweat. Finalising my practice with a powerful kick to the very middle of the bag, I sigh in a controlled manner before slowly bringing myself to my base fighting position. Once there, I stand up straight and stretch my limbs, making sure that they won't become too sore later.

Now that I'm not attempting to destroy the bag, I realise that the gym is oddly quiet. Turning around, I see the girls staring at me with open mouths, teacher included.

"What?"

My question seems to snap them right out of their funk, but before they can do more than look startled, the bell rings. With a shake of my head, I turn to the teacher and ask, "Hey, would you mind if I stored this thing in one of the storage rooms here? It'd be a pain to have to lug it everywhere."

The teacher, still a bit shell shocked, nods and opens up a nearly empty storage room for me, where I place my punching bag. Once it's locked securely, I turn back to the gym and realise that the girls are _still_ staring at me. It's best if I ignore it for now, though, so I signal to the teacher that I'm leaving, give a quick wave to Rise, and head back to my room at a light jog to take a shower.

...

Later, in class, I notice that the staring still hasn't fully abated, though now the girls simply avert their eyes quickly when I look their way. One of the main exceptions is Rise, who can at least still keep a conversation with me.

Once the bell rings out to signal the end of the day, Rise stands and ushers me to the door quickly.

"Come, Masaya-san. There is someone I would like us to recruit to the White Lily Society."

The previous day, the vote had been held at Maria Hall for the association leaders, but nobody else had shown up the White Lily Society room, so Rise won by default. Surprisingly, however, the Red Rose Association's leader wasn't Mitsuki as we had expected, but Ritsuko, the girl I'd met no more than once before. Mitsuki claimed that it was because of Ritsuko's level-headed and rule-abiding nature, but we all knew better. This whole association business was merely a veiled popularity contest, and considering Ritsuko's title ( **Belle Epine** , or **Beautiful Briar Rose** ), plus her looks, it was easy to understand why Mitsuki had relegated the leadership to her. Not to say that Mitsuki was not good looking; far from it. But her attitude, it seemed, could turn many people away. The conversation wasn't much to talk about, but I did make Ritsuko blush temporarily when I commented that she had good looks. At the same time, though, I think I annoyed Rise with that comment.

Coming back to the present, I responded with, "Where are we going?"

"Class 2-B," Rise responded.

I said no more and followed her. Once we reached the classroom, though, I realised something.

"Hey... this is where she always hides."

"Where who hides?" Rise asked curiously.

"Some girl that seemed to be stalking me. I didn't realise it at first, but this is the room she always jumps into."

"I see," Rise commented. "I hope it isn't the same girl, then."

"Yeah, that'd make things awkward," I said with a small laugh as well entered.

The class went almost immediately quiet when they spotted the two of us. Rise seemed to garner as much attention and respect as Marika. My appearance was at least received with guarded silence instead of outright distrust.

With the exception of one person.

"Ah, Masaya-san, salutations," Kamiyagi Ruriko spoke up happily when she spotted us. "Salutations, Rise-san."

"Salutations," Rise greeted happily.

"Hey," I simply said with a smile.

Unsurprisingly, there was one girl that had immediately hidden her face when we came in. And unfortunately, Rise was headed right for her. I followed right behind her.

I was in for a rude shock.

"Chiho-san?"

I froze, my mind grinding to a halt.

"What?!" I exclaimed.

Everyone except for the girl hidden behind the book jumped at my exclamation.

"Huh?" Rise looked at me in askance, but I ignored her, slowly approaching the hidden girl. She might have hidden her face; she might have not spoken so as to not give away her voice...

But she couldn't hide her hair.

Those brown tresses in long, twin ponytails... There was only one girl that I knew that wore her hair like that.

"Chiho..." I whispered, though it was perfectly audible to everyone. "Is that... really you?"

That seemed to be the last straw for the already-shaking girl. She threw the book down on the desk and stood up, her chair clattering as it fell to the floor.

It really _was_ her.

"Chiho..."

I could see that her eyes were full of tears, and her posture was tense.

"You..."

That word was whispered, but the next was the whole opposite.

"TRAITOR!"

Everything after that happened in a flash, but when I focused, I found myself holding onto Chiho's right wrist with my right hand. Her right hand was only inches away from my face.

And her face showed pure apprehension.

That's when I realised I was frowning intensely, and that probably scared her. With a small shake of my head, I sighed and released her wrist. Her arm went limply back to her side, her gaze remaining squarely on me.

"Sorry... instinctual reaction. I couldn't hold back," I muttered to her, feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. That the girl I considered by best friend could look at me with so much hatred... and to know I was the cause of it...

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Chiho... I never meant to hurt you like that..." I whispered, not daring to look at her. "There were circumstances... But that doesn't forgive what I did. I can see that I'm not welcome in your presence any longer, so I'll take my leave..."

That was all I could really say, and with that, I turned and began to walk away, paying no mind to the girls around me. I still didn't look at Chiho; I didn't want to see the anger in those eyes aimed my way.

I had just reached the door when I heard my name being called by Chiho.

"Masaya..."

Turning my head, I locked eyes with her, and she asked me a single question.

"The things you said to Tamie-san... are they true?"

"Every word," I nodded, then left.

...

There weren't any more classes left, so I went immediately to my dorm room, only paying enough attention to not run into anything. My mind wouldn't focus on anything cohesive, but once I crossed the door of my room and locked it, the image finally sharpened... into Chiho's face.

"Chiho..."

I stumbled more than walked to my bed and flopped down onto it, staring vacantly at the ceiling. What was I feeling, exactly? I wasn't sure of the answer to that question, but if I had to decide, regret would be the closest I could get.

I could still see the anger in Chiho's eyes... The pure hatred she had for the one good friend who abandoned her so long ago...

I shut my eyes, trying to focus on something else, but all that accomplished was leaving me alone with just my thoughts in my head. Growing, I stood and took off everything but my boxers, then got down on the floor and began to do push-ups, growling out the number on every raise...

That usually worked to help me get rid of stressful thoughts, but no matter how many I did, and no matter how much my muscles burned, I couldn't get Chiho out of my mind.

In the end, I only remember screaming something out before I punched the wall to my right. A sharp pain flew up my arm, and I felt like my hand had broken. Thankfully, though, it seemed like it was just the pain of the impact. While the wall wasn't damaged in the slightest, my knuckles had been skinned. Thus, I went to the bathroom and washed off the small amount of pooling blood before I bandaged the wound lightly. The pain, ironically, allowed me to keep something other than Chiho on my mind, and with that, I plopped down on my bed and was asleep within seconds.

...

In what felt like seconds, I was awoken by the sound of knocking at my door. Drowsy, I stood up and stumbled to the door, mumbling loudly, "Who is it?"

"It's Rise, Masaya-san," I heard and recognised the voice, but unfortunately, not everything had clicked in my brain, because I opened the door without even remembering one fact.

I had taken a nap in just my boxers.

Thus, my sleep-addled mind was met by a casually-clothed Rise. I managed to process the shape and colour of her outfit before her beet red face registered in my brain.

"What's wrong?"

"Um... M-M-Masaya-san, you... uh... You..."

When I saw her continue staring at my body, I looked down, and immediately realised the problem.

"Oh... I don't seem to have many clothes on. My bad, I forgot I went to sleep like this."

"You sleep like that?!" Rise asked, a little too loudly.

"Well, yeah," I responded, already moving back into my room, lest any of the other girls appear and accuse me of something. "Come on in; I'll put something on."

After some stuttering and hesitation, Rise shook her head quickly and walked in, shutting the door while I put on some light sweatpants and a plain white shirt. She took a seat by the coffee table, and I sat in front of her.

"So, what's up?"

Rise stared at me critically, then simply said, "I came to ask if you would tell me just how you know Chiho-san."

At the mention of Chiho, my spirits plummeted and I heaved a sigh. "Oh... That."

"Is it something you don't wish to say?"

"No, it isn't that... It's just... much like a lot of things about me, it's not exactly good."

"What do you mean by that?"

I sighed again.

"I'll tell you, if you want to know."

However, before I could begin, there was another knock at the door. With a quick glance at Rise, I went to it and opened it, my eyes immediately widening when I saw who it was.

"Chiho... Ruriko-san... What are you both doing here?" I asked, and I could almost feel Rise's eyes darting to the door at my words.

"Salutations, Masaya-san," Ruriko greeted me with a small bow, Panterbell mimicking the action on her shoulder. Chiho said nothing. She simply stared at something down the hallway.

"Good evening," I said back.

"Have I guessed correctly that you plan to explain to Rise your past with Chiho?" Ruriko suddenly asked.

I was a little surprised by her clairvoyance. "You're correct. How did you know that?"

Ruriko gave me an impish smile. "Considering your closeness, I simply guessed that she would ask."

I looked back at Rise, who seemed embarrassed. "Seems like you're a little easy to read, Rise-san."

Rise made an 'eep' sound and looked away.

"Anyways, does that mean you came here for the same reason?" I ask as I turn back to Ruriko.

"Yes, Masaya-san," Ruriko nodded.

I looked at Chiho to confirm this, but she refused to look my way. With a sigh, I moved to the side and nodded at the room. "Very well, come on in."

The two of them entered, Ruriko walking gracefully while Chiho stalked more than walked inside. The two of them took seats at either side of Rise, who greeted them calmly. I walked to the only empty part and sat there, immediately being pinned by three gazes.

"Very well then, Masaya-san," Rise began, "I believe you were going to explain about your connection with Chiho-san here."

Chiho kept staring at me, not even reacting to her own name being mentioned.

"Yes, I was. Simply put, we knew each other for a long time before I had to leave Tsurugigaoka. If I remember correctly, I was sitting by some swings, thinking about my mother's departure, and she came up to me and asked me to help her... weed the garden, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Chiho responded shortly.

"She said that her mom had some extra food at home for me if I helped her, cleverly making it so that it wasn't charity." I turned to look at Chiho. "I don't think I mentioned it back then, but your mom's meals and your friendship are the only two things that really kept me sane. My father was unmanageable and refused to work, so it all came down to me." I turned back to the group at large and continued. "It was around our second to last year of secondary that Chiho asked me to meet her after school at a playground nearby. I went home first to drop off my books and stuff, though, and there, I found my father packing all of our stuff rapidly. When I asked what was going on, he explained to me that the Goons, the mafia group that was collecting on the debt, were coming for his hide and that we had to leave. I didn't want to leave at all, but my father, blast him, managed to convince me that we had to. So I helped him pack, and when we were done, I planned to stop by the playground and tell Chiho of my departure. But... something stopped me. My conscience, actually. My father's words just kept replaying in my head about the danger the Goons posed, and in the end, I decided not to go for one reason..." I looked directly at Chiho, who looked uncertain. "I never wanted to place you in their sights. I wanted to go, but if they saw me talking to you just before my father and I booked it, you would have been in danger, and I wouldn't live with myself if that happened. So we left. After that happened all of the events that I described in the paper."

Everything fell silent, the three girls pondering my tale. Finally, Chiho spoke a single word.

"Why...?"

I looked at her in confusion. Her shoulders were shaking. "Why what?"

"Why do you keep lying?!" Chiho suddenly stood up, glaring at me and screaming her question.

Childhood friend or not, the fact that she called me a liar caused my hackles to rise, and I frowned at her.

"I'm not-,"

"Why wouldn't you even leave a note?! Why not come to the playground before going home?! What could the mafia possibly try with someone who isn't related to the person?! Why-?!"

Whatever she was going to say, I didn't care, because by that point my nerves were more than frayed enough, my anger was reaching a peak, and I could see that both Rise and Ruriko were planning to step in.

This was a problem Chiho and I needed solve ourselves though.

"Shut up!" I yelled as I stood up like she did. Due to my louder tone and the fact that I was bigger than she was, the anger in her eyes was filled with immediate fear and apprehension, but I didn't care. I stepped forward quickly and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. "Shut up! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?! Any idea about how I dreamed almost every night that I would never see you again?! Did you even read the article Tamie printed out?! _They killed my mother!_ A woman that had no more connection to my father was killed simply because of their past! Do you know of the fear I had about you possibly being captured or killed by those bastards?!" I could see that Chiho's eyes were full of tears, but I didn't process it completely. I needed to get this out. "Every day, I lived with the fear that I would receive a message from the Goons telling me that they'd taken you hostage and were going to kill you unless I paid them! Don't you understand?! _THAT_ is why I wanted to come back to Tsurugigaoka! I... I..."

By this point, my voice was lowering in tone, and the anger that I had inside was replaced by a feeling I had long ignored: loneliness.

"I just wanted to know that you were safe..." I whispered. "Even if you refused to see me... Even if you hated me... I _needed_ to know that you hadn't been hurt by them..."

I released Chiho's shoulders and moved back, shutting my eyes tightly to prevent tears from falling out. I sat down heavily on my bed, leaning my elbows on my knees. I worked on controlling my breathing, but it was difficult. The only sound in the room was the breathing of the three girls and one animal.

Finally, I deemed my breathing to be back to normal and opened my eyes, quickly wiping the tears that had clung to my eyebrows. Looking up, I took in the scene. All three of the girls were staring right at me, but while Rise and Ruriko's eyes were filled with apprehension and sympathy and looking between Chiho and I, Chiho's were full of doubt, and I couldn't tell whether it was to my story or to her own beliefs.

To my surprise, Panterbell had gotten off Ruriko's shoulder and was trotting his way over to me. The little guy jumped up and landed on my knee, then made his way up my back to my shoulder and seemed to rub his cheek against mine, letting out a little 'Kuu' that sounded... comforting.

With a small smile coming to my lips, I reached my right hand up and softly stroked his back, watching him as he purred at my action. "Thank you, Panterbell," I said gratefully, closing my eyes.

"Kuu," he responded in a chirpy tone.

I looked back at the gathered girls, and this time, their faces were more relaxed. It seemed Panterbell's intervention had relaxed the entire mood.

However, there was still something I needed to say.

"Chiho," I spoke up, gaining her attention. "Please... believe me on this. It doesn't matter if you hate me, or if you never want to see me again... You are, and you always will be, my childhood friend. You will always be the girl that kept me sane when I thought I would go insane. And no matter what happens, I will always be in your corner, and I will always protect you, as I wanted to do from the very beginning."

I could see the effect this had on Chiho, as her eyes widened and her face blushed hotly. With a small harrumph, she turned away and crossed her arms. "W-Who said I needed to be saved by you, idiot?"

That made me laugh, more out of relief than anything else. Yep, my good ol' Chiho was back. I stood from the bed and approached her, holding my arms out to her. "I'm glad to have you back, Chiho."

Chiho gave me a sidelong glance, as if debating whether I had some contagious disease, but in the end, she smiled tenderly and hugged me. "Same with you, Masaya."

…

We stayed talking in my room for a few minutes until there was a knock at my door. We all looked at each other in askance, as none of us were expecting anyone. So, since it was my room, I stood and walked to the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Masaya-kun," I heard Sister Mishima's voice from the other side.

I opened the door halfway and was met by the intrigued sight of a serious Sister Mishima next to a Gardiane officer, the Captain to boot.

"Is something wrong?"

"Masaya-kun, the girls on either side of your room have reported that they have heard several noises from your room, as well as yelling. I should be asking you that," Mishima said seriously.

"Oh," I responded. I suppose the walls weren't as soundproof as I thought, or maybe my voice was just too loud. "Sorry about that." I opened the door wider so that they could see who was inside. The girls were all looking our way, with Chiho looking a little embarrassed. Panterbell let out a random 'kuu', which once again broke most of the tension around the place. "We just had a bit of a disagreement, and it got rather passionate. It's all resolved, though. Right?" I aim the question at the girls, who all nod seriously.

"Very well, then," Mishima states with a smile. "Just make sure it doesn't happen often."

"I'll do my best," I nod at both her and the Captain, who nods back uncertainly, then wait until they've left to close the door. "I suppose that punch _was_ a bit overkill…" I mumble to myself.

"What punch?" Ruriko asks in concern.

"Oh… uh…" I hadn't expected anyone to hear me, but since they all were looking at me, I decided to come clean and pointed at the wall just in front of my bed, where a fist-sized red stain could be seen. "I sort of… punched the wall. Skinned my knuckles, too."

The girls gasped when they saw that, and their eyes immediately jumped to my bandaged hand.

"Is that why…?" Rise began.

"Yeah, but don't worry. This is nothing compared to the injuries I've sustained before," I hurried to wave the matter off.

…

…

…


	5. Chapter 5

The next week continued in a regular school manner, or as regular as it could get with my special situation. The plus side was that, now that Chiho was my friend once again, she and Ruriko joined Rise and I at mealtimes, and they had agreed to join as affiliates to the White Lily Society, each for their own reasons. Chiho wanted to make sure I could stay, and Ruriko simply wanted to know more about men, for some reason she refused to divulge.

Anyways, it was once again gym class time, but unfortunately, today I didn't have much motivation when it came to beating the ever-loving crap out of my lovely punching bag. I did my exercises regardless, but my heart wasn't in it this time, though I couldn't pinpoint why immediately. Once I finished, however, I realised it.

This had already become boring. It was the only thing I expected to do during my gym classes, and while it was something that would keep me entertained and in shape, it was still monotone.

"I need to get myself a music player," I muttered as I took off my gloves, having already placed the bag in the storage room.

…

Once I was back in my room and in the shower, I began to ponder what to do. I was using the bag as a tool for strength and martial arts training, that much was true, but it wasn't something I wanted to do daily. Hell, I needed to be rounded in my training and make sure that I wasn't neglecting any part of his body.

Suddenly, an idea sprung to mind, and I eagerly awaited the next day.

…

The next morning, as Aiko and I cooled off after the morning run, I asked her for a favour.

"Aiko, I have a question. What days do you have free?"

Two days before, I had accidentally called her name without an honorific. I apologised, but she admitted that she didn't mind it, so long as it was just between us.

"Why do you ask?" Aiko asked a little warily.

"You see, I'm currently doing nothing productive in my gym classes, and since I want to keep myself as well trained as possible, I was wondering if I could enlist in your assistance."

"In what way?"

"I need you to answer my question first."

"Monday afternoons, Thursdays, and Friday afternoons," she responded before taking a sip of her bottle of water.

"I see," I thought it over. Tomorrow was Thursday, another gym day. "Then could you pass by the gym tomorrow at two? Also, make sure you wear something to work out in."

"Wait, what?! Why?"

But I had already taken my leave. Now I just had to hope she would come, and that she would agree to my idea.

…

Thankfully, she did come.

I was just doing a few light stretches to warm up my body on my side of the gym when the door of the gym opened and Aiko stepped inside, wearing flexible shorts and a light white shirt, as well as running shoes. Her mid-back-length hair was in a ponytail.

"Ah, Aiko-san," the teacher greeted Aiko warmly. "What brings you here? Planning to do some exercise?"

"I think so," Aiko responded, looking right at me. "I actually came because _he_ asked me to come." Not wasting any more time, she made her way to me. "Alright, Masaya-san, you asked me to come. What is it you need?"

"Are you already warmed up?" I asked.

"Did a few stretches before I came, and jogged here. I'm fine. Now spill it," she said.

I sighed with a smile and nodded, taking a few steps back. Opening my eyes in my 'focus mode', as I like to call it, I got into my fighting stance and said, "Alright then. Attack me."

Everything froze around us.

"You want me to what?!" Aiko asked loudly.

"I thought I'd said clearly enough. Attack me."

"Why in the world do you-?!"

"I need to train," I cut her off. "I've been doing a lot of strength training lately, but that isn't worth a thing if I don't know how to block a simple punch. So I want to brush up on my defensive skills. Additionally, ever since the spat over Rise-san we had some time ago, I've wanted to have an actual spar with at least one of you, especially _you_ , Aiko-san. So, shall we?"

Aiko stared at me with a dumbfounded stare, but in the end, she shook her head and got into her own stance. "If you want to, Masaya-san."

"Good, but a little piece of advice," I told her. "Don't hold back."

Aiko raised an eyebrow but nodded anyways. We stood there, facing each other and ignoring the curious looks of the other girls. Then, suddenly, Aiko ran forward and threw a punch at my face that I nearly scoffed at. With practiced ease, I shot up my defence hand and batted the punch away, throwing a light palm jab at her stomach to make her back up. Aiko gasped and stepped back, and I frowned at her.

"What part of 'don't hold back' didn't you understand? Come on! Hit me with all you've got!"

Aiko growled and ran at me once again, and this time, she threw a more focused punch which I actually had to dodge. She didn't stop there, shooting me a high and low combination that I either deflected or dodged. The girl definitely had training, but the lack of power made her have to compensate in her style, and she did so brilliantly.

The two of us sparred back and forth around my area of the gym, and I made sure to move in a way that we wouldn't slip to the other side by accident. Aiko was quite the entertaining opponent, and I actually found myself smiling as I blocked and dodged. However, it seemed she wasn't finding it as fun, because I could see her face was set in a frown.

"What's the matter, Aiko-san?" I asked her as I sidestepped one of her kicks. "You look unsatisfied."

"Well, yeah," Aiko spoke as she backed away. "Are you seriously just going to be dodging? Fight back a little! I can see why you got bored of the punching bag so quickly."

"Unfortunately, the bag couldn't move, so it isn't all alike. But if you want me to fight back, by all means. Just a word of warning, though." I planted myself a bit more securely, smirking. "Much like I told you to not hold back, I don't plan to, either."

Aiko didn't have much time to feel apprehensive, since I struck almost immediately afterwards. She yelped and threw up her arms, crossing them in front of her, an action I frowned at. Checking my strength, I shot my fist forward and slammed it right at the crossing of her arms, making her yelp and stumble backwards. When she looked at me incredulously, I shook my head at her.

"Bad reaction, Aiko-san. You need to keep a cool head. I controlled my strength there, but had I been an actual enemy, there were several ways I could have incapacitated and even killed you if I wanted to." When I saw her look ashamed, I walked up to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. "Don't get down in the dumps, now. I'm telling you this so you can improve. That's the point of friendly sparring, isn't it?"

Aiko looked at me and nodded, then suddenly shot her fist forward and dug it into my gut, winding me. I gasped and bent forward, hearing her say, "Don't let your guard down around an enemy."

I smirked as I inhaled, shooting my knee up and catching her on her stomach, which made her gasp in pain and shock. As I straightened up, I said, "Don't assume a surprise attack will always work. Now straighten up and let's go again!"

...

We continued to spar until the end of the class, which was thankfully the last one of the day. Aiko and I were both sporting a multitude of bruises, but we were also smiling like maniacs.

This had definitely been fun, while also being productive to our bodies.

"Well, what do you think about making this a weekly thing?" I ask Aiko.

"That's fine by me," Aiko agrees enthusiastically.

After working out the times when we'd meet, she went on her way while I remained in the gym. I had easily noticed that almost all the other girls had been giving us odd looks, and it was starting to get annoying.

"Alright, what's on your mind?" I say to the group on the other half of the gym, startling a lot of them. "If you've got something to say, spill it."

To my chagrin, the girls were now hesitant. One of them decided to step forward boldly and try to stare me down. "What kind of man are you, to hit a woman, huh?"

I raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Really? That's what you're concerned about? Fine then, mind recommending another guy I could ask to train with?" That gave her pause, so I continued. "Exactly. Besides, Aiko-san's pretty strong, and she can hold her own quite well. She's an excellent training partner."

And without another word, I went on my way.

...

After that day, my life fell into a bit of a routine. The days blurred together as I became accustomed to my new life, and nothing particularly interesting happened for close to two months, with the exception of nearly daily clashes of will between Rise and Chiho, with me being the reason.

It was now approaching May, and as such, the White Lily Society was preparing to submit a theme for the May Festival, an event happening on the fourth that culminated in a Soiree Dansante, an all-night ball in the gym. It was something that certainly broke the monotony of the days, though it was difficult to think up a theme for the dance.

"So, does anyone have an idea for a theme?" Rise asked Chiho, Ruriko, and I when we convened after school.

The three of us looked at each other, but our gazes were all conflicted. No one had any ideas.

"Well, I suppose it would be a little much to expect ideas immediately," Rise amended with an awkward smile. "I was hoping that, since Masaya-san was new here, he could provide some."

"Sorry, but I'm drawing a blank," I shook my head.

Chiho and Ruriko nodded in silent agreement.

"I see..." Rise closed her eyes and thought for a few seconds.

"When exactly _is_ the festival?" I asked.

"The fourth of May," Ruriko answered, closing her eyes happily. "To dance all night with your preferred person... it feels almost taboo."

"I see," I responded a little awkwardly. While there were several odd girls I'd met, Ruriko was one of the hardest to place, as her innocence and way of speaking made nearly all of her declarations have strong double entendres.

"Have you ever danced before, Masaya-san?" Ruriko asked me.

"Not officially, no. But I did get several dancing lessons from a friend," I responded.

It was true, actually. While I was recovering at Mishima Academy, both Suou Amane and Sakaki Yumiko decided to teach me several things, dancing being one of them. In Amane's words, "If you can dance properly, you can woo any girl!" I hadn't seen the point of it back then, but now, I was glad I had paid attention.

"Do you all know how to dance?" I asked.

"Yes," Rise answered. "We're practicing in gym class now, actually."

"That so? I never actually noticed," I responded. Since my gym activities were always separate from the rest of my class', I hadn't really paid much attention to what they were doing.

"Though it's definitely not something you pick up overnight," Chiho said with an awkward laugh. "Last year, I spent almost all of the dance stepping on Ruriko-san's toes."

"That's okay," Ruriko assured her. "The point of the dance is to enjoy yourself, after all."

"It definitely sounds like it'll be fun," I commented.

"This will be my first time dancing with a man," Ruriko said in a slightly breathy voice. She then looked my way and said, in a sincere voice, "I hope you will take my first, Masaya-san."

The entire room went quiet at her words, and a moment later, Chiho laughed awkwardly. "I don't know about that phrasing..."

I, however, always found it fun to play along with Ruriko, so I answered with, "I'd be glad to. Since it's all night, I'll also take your second, and probably third as well."

Rise and Chiho's mouths went agape at my words, with powerful blushes entering their cheeks. Ruriko, on the other hand, simply smiled happily. "My, my, my, that will be most fun."

"Ahem..." Rise coughed to break her lapse in decorum, then looked away and said, "M-Me too. You may dance with me as well, Masaya-san."

"Uh, sure."

"I think it would be best to match the clumsy people together, no?" Chiho asked with a laugh.

"Who told you I was clumsy?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Aren't you modest?" Chiho snaked back.

"I'm fairly confident."

"You'll just have to prove that, won't you?"

"Challenge accepted."

Chiho and I stared at each other, daring the other to look away first. Surprisingly, though, Ruriko broke the standoff with a sigh.

"Oh, my, we are in a bind..."

"How so?" I ask, with Rise and Chiho looking at the girl in askance.

"We cannot all be your partner, Masaya-san. There is only one of you," Ruriko explained. "And the matter of who you dance with first is of great importance."

I was almost immediately pinned by the laser sights known as the eyes of Rise and Chiho.

"Is it really that important?"

"But of course," Ruriko assured me with a smile.

"If you say so."

"Masaya-san... I won't be satisfied unless I'm first," Rise said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Uh..."

 _'Well, that's a damn bold declaration, though I guess Rise has always been the bold one.'_

"You know how I hate to lose, right, Masaya?" Chiho almost growled.

"Perfectly well, thank you," I responded in deadpan.

"Hmm..." Ruriko made an odd thinking noise for a moment, then suddenly brightened up. "That's it! I have an idea for the theme!"

"Oh?" Rise asked immediately with great interest. "What is it?"

But before Ruriko could explain, there was a knock at the door.

"Oh, who could that be? Come in," Rise called out.

When the door opened, the entire Red Rose Society entered, with Mitsuki and Ritsuko at the head.

"Salutations," Mitsuki greeted with an odd smile.

"Ah, salutations," Rise returned the greeting. "Can we help you?"

"I just heard that you were discussing the theme for the May Festival, and I decided to magnanimously check on you."

"What part of that is magnanimous?" Rise asked in a whisper.

"I just wanted to say that you can submit your theme without problems, as the Red Rose Society will concede to whatever theme you decide. Isn't that right, Ritsuko?"

"Huh? Oh, y-yes, that's right." It seemed that Mitsuki hadn't discussed this with Ritsuko beforehand, as the young girl was quite surprised.

"What do you mean?" Rise asked uncertainly.

"Well, since you have such a tough battle ahead of you, I decided to be a little generous to you," Mitsuki said with a smug smile.

"We do not need your charity," Rise spoke in an annoyed tone.

"Now, now, are you sure you can be rude to me? After all, the Red Rose Society has twenty representatives, while you only have one and two affiliates."

" _Three_ affiliates," Rise corrected her.

"Oh, yes," Mitsuki corrected herself in a throwaway tone. "And Masaya-san."

The entire time, I had been silent, with my eyes closed and my arms crossed. Now, though, I pretended to be startled and looked around, drawing everyone's attention. "I'm sorry, did someone say my name? I could've sworn I heard a tiny voice call me."

The White Lily Society girls giggled at my act, and even some of the Red Rose members seemed to be holding back laughter. Mitsuki stared at me with a twitching eyebrow, but she quickly composed herself.

"Anyway, besides deciding to let you choose the theme," Mitsuki continued, "I also wanted to introduce you to a new member of the Red Rose Society."

"New member?" Rise asked. Wasn't it too late to accept new members?

"You can come out, Konomi," Mitsuki said, looking at the back of the group.

The group split apart at the middle, and forward stepped a young girl with dark green hair put up in a ponytail. She was looking down, and I could tell that she was definitely blushing in embarrassment.

"S-Salutations. My n-name is Yanase Konomi. Nice to meet you," the now-named Konomi said in a slightly trembling voice.

"Oh, Konomi," Rise said in a breathy voice, looking at the girl with some shock. "But you're still in Intermediary."

"Oh, I decided to emulate your idea and take on affiliates," Mitsuki explain.

"I see. Oh, that's right! I almost forgot. Ritsuko is your Onee-sama, isn't she?" Rise said.

"Y-Yes!" Konomi said wholeheartedly. "Though that isn't the only reason."

"Oh?"

This time, she looked at my general area, though she still refused to actually look at me.

"It's…because of him!"

Silence.

I decided to break it.

"Whatever you think I did, I'm innocent!"

The silence was a bit more befuddled this time.

"I-I chose to join the Red Rose Society to protect my Onee-sama from fiends like him!" Konomi declared loudly, deciding to just steamroll past my declaration.

This time, I let out a sigh. With deliberately slow movements, I stood up and approached Konomi, my arms crossed and my brows furrowed. The youngling saw me coming but chose to stand her ground, though I definitely noticed a flash of fear pass her eyes.

"Konomi…" I said in a low voice. "Why, exactly, are you against me?"

Konomi stared into my face, uncomprehending.

"I can gather why the girls here are against my inclusion," I explain, waving my hand at the Red Rose Society. "Well, truthfully, I only know Mitsuki-san's and Ritsuko's reasons. I'd like to know yours."

Konomi still refused to look at me directly, but she did answer. "Men are all filthy pigs, and I have taken it upon myself to protect my Onee-sama from you! You hear me? If you get within three meters of my Onee-sama, I'll cleave you in half with my naginata!"

I stared at the girl, storing all of that information for later use. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ritsuko place a hand to her forehead and sigh in exasperation. The other girls all seemed to be a little surprised, Mitsuki included. With a small shake of my head, I knelt in front of Konomi, bringing our faces to a more level height, and said, "Well, would you look this 'filthy pig' in the eyes when you're talking to him? It's considered rude not to, you know."

Konomi made an odd sound of surprise or startle, but she did actually look up, and we locked eyes.

"I have yet to do anything to you or anyone else, no?" I say to her when we look at each other, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Why not wait a little before actually judging me?"

Konomi didn't answer. As a matter of fact, all she did was just blush, but I knew that this wasn't due to any kind of affection. Her body suddenly started to shake, and her eyes widened in apprehension.

"Konomi?"

Whatever I expected to happen, it wasn't what she actually did.

The girl proceeded to jump back, making an incoherent sound. I jump back as well, preparing myself to fight out of reflex, but instead of any kind of battle…

"I'M GOING TO GET PREGNANT!"

Konomi decides to bolt, holding her burning face in her hands and yelling out that sentence.

"Uh… what?"

"I-I-If a man looks you in the eyes for too long, you'll get pregnant!" she yells as she runs past the Red Rose Society and out the door.

Her yelling startles us all, but the awkward silence is broken by Ruriko apprehensively asking, "Is that true?!"

I look at her, then shake my head. "Not in the slightest. Otherwise, you'd already be pregnant, don't you think?"

Ruriko makes a cute thinking face as the other girls glare at me, then laughs and nods. "You're correct, Masaya-san."

"But hey, we could have called him Masaya Jr.," I joke, making her laugh.

"Why do you believe it would be a boy?" she asks in jest.

"Because I'm a dominant guy?"

"You phrased that as a question," Rise pointed out.

"I like to think I'm not a rug to be stepped on, but hell if I know."

The rest of the girls stare at me in bewilderment. I check my watch noncommittally.

"Oh, look at the time. Isn't it about time we split? Our meeting is over."

Rise checks the time as well and nods. "You're quite correct, Masaya-san. Let's convene again tomorrow."

With a shrug, I gather my things and head to the door, the girls of the Red Rose Society that were still gathered there moving aside to let me pass.

"Well, thank you," I say in a slightly mocking tone. "I didn't know I was a descendant of Moses."

The girls hardly respond, but I do notice one near the back trying to hold back laughter. I give her a knowing look, then head back to my room.

…

The next day, we all gathered in Maria Hall.

"Now, let's begin our meeting," Rise announced. "Has anybody thought of a theme yet? I'm afraid that I have yet to come up with anything proper."

"Ruriko-san, didn't you say that you had an idea yesterday?" I ask the blonde.

"Ah, yes," Ruriko nods. "I thought of the idea because of the dilemma of who got to dance with you first, Masaya-san. Why not turn it into a game?"

"In what way?" Chiho asked.

"Easter eggs," Ruriko said simply.

Rise and Chiho seemed confused, but I understood what she meant.

"You mean to choose partners based on an Easter egg hunt?"

"Exactly!"

Now the other two were interested.

"Hmm… it sounds intriguing," Rise mused.

"Sounds fun!" Chiho agreed.

"It's not a bad idea, actually. Have you thought out the plans?" I asked.

"Yes," Ruriko nods. "You place a strip of paper with your name on it inside the egg, then hide it. The morning of May fourth, the hunt begins, and the name in the egg that you find will be your first partner for the dance. I call it, 'Woo with Oeuf'!"

The rest of us thought it over, then nodded in sync.

"A good plan, Ruriko-san! So, are we all in agreement?" Rise asked.

We all nodded.

"Thus, the theme submission of the White Lily Society will be 'Woo with Oeuf'!" Rise declared.

"Yeah!" the rest of us agreed.

…

Two days later, on May 2nd, the White Lily Society, along with Mitsuki, Ritsuko, and Konomi, were all gathered at the tables outside Maria Hall, looking at the approval ratings of the Woo with Oeuf on the Racine de Lis, the White Lily Society's online page.

"It seems the approval for the theme is quite high," I comment.

"Yes. It was a very interesting idea," Ritsuko agreed, eyes narrowed at the laptop screen I had in front of me.

"I expected as much. It was Ruriko-san's idea, after all," Rise said happily.

A small groan of despair drew our attention to where Konomi was, holding her face in her hand.

"I hoped to stop any invitations from reaching Onee-sama, but with this… I will have no choice but to concede to others…" she groaned.

"That would be fine by me," Ritsuko said calmly. "You're always stepping on my feet, Konomi."

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Konomi apologised, but a moment later, she immediately perked up. "Oh! I know! You should tell me where you will hide it beforehand!"

"Absolutely not."

"Augh! But why?!"

"Because it's against the rules."

"Oh… that's true…"

"A game's no fun if it's too easy," I comment offhandedly, thinking of a good place where I could hide mine.

"Correct, Masaya-san" Ruriko agreed.

"By the way," Rise spoke up, looking at Mitsuki, "What was the Red Rose Society's theme idea? I was so busy with ours that I forgot to ask."

"Ours is Tea in the Rose Garden," Mitsuki answered. "We will be serving tea and sweets after the egg hunt, so do pass by."

"We shall," Rise agreed.

I didn't even speak up. I felt that I wouldn't be particularly welcome in that scene and didn't want to press my luck.

…

The next day, at night time, I was relaxing in my room and staring at the egg in my hand. It was a blue, plastic thing with interesting geometric shapes all around. It looked cute.

As I went through my mental map of Vincennes, I heard a knock at my door.

"Coming," I called out, standing and going to the door.

On the other side, a slightly red Chiho stood.

"Oh, Chiho. Good evening," I greet her. "Did you need something?"

"Um, Masaya" she began. "Any ideas on where you're hiding your egg?"

"Uh… isn't that question taboo?" I ask her in deadpan.

"D-Don't get the wrong idea! I just wanted to ask because… I don't know where to hide mine!" Chiho defended herself desperately.

"I see… Well, I'm not going to be much help. You've been here longer than I have, remember?"

"Oh… that's right. Ahahaha…"

"Well, if that's all, I need to finish planning. Night."

And with that, I close the door and head back to my bed, shaking my head in exasperation.

"Jeez, Chiho, you could do better when lying."

…

About half an hour later, there was another knock at my door.

"Coming," I called out, feeling a sense of déjà vu. When I open it, I see Rise standing at the threshold, hands behind her back and looking oddly innocent. "Evenin', Rise-san. May I help you?"

"Yes. Masaya-san, have you decided yet where you'll hide your egg?" Rise asked me.

"Well, I have a rough idea. Why?"

"I could help you find a good place, if you'd like," she offered, a small blush on her face. "Or, perhaps, help you find an egg."

I raised an eyebrow. "If you want to help anyone, go help Chiho. She came by earlier asking me for help, but I couldn't help her much considering I've been here for a shorter time than she has."

"Chiho-san passed by here?" Rise asked.

"Yeah, about half an hour ago," I nodded. "Anyways, thanks for the offer but I want to do this on my own. I've always found scavenger hunts fun."

And with that, I gave her a wave and closed the door, this time sticking around to hear what she would do. All she did was say a small 'drat' before moving on. With a mirthful shake of my head, I went back to my bed.

…

A few minutes later, there was yet again a knock at my door. This time, I was a little annoyed.

"Yes?" I said as I opened the door, immediately stopping in surprise when I noticed Konomi of all people at my door. "Konomi?"

"Salutations," Konomi stuttered out, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Uh… hi," I responded. "Don't intermediary students have a different dorm building?"

"It is not yet past curfew," Konomi explained shortly.

"I see… Can I help you?"

"Where are you hiding your egg?!"

The question was so suddenly asked I had to take a moment to backtrack.

"What? Why in the world do you want to know that?"

"I… To protect my Onee-sama, I must attain your egg for myself!"

I stared at the girl in baffled silence, then finally laughed.

"Is that so? That's the reason?"

"Grr… Why are you laughing?" Konomi growled.

"Because it's hilarious, considering my last two visitors. But regardless, I'm not telling you that."

"What?! I know it is against the rules, but-."

"No, Konomi. I'm not telling you. To be perfectly honest, I haven't even decided yet."

"You haven't?"

"No. But if you're so dead-centred on finding my egg to 'protect your Onee-sama', then by all means…" I leaned down and placed my face close to her own, making her blush hotly. "Search, and find it on your own."

And with that, I closed my door.

…

The next morning, after breakfast, I went on a walk to find a place to hide my egg.

As I walked down the gingko-lined path that lead to the gate, I could feel a pair of eyes on me, my instincts letting me know the minute whoever it was began to stalk me. Looking discreetly around under the pretence of searching for just the right hiding spot, I see a flash of green duck behind a building.

 _'_ _Only one girl I know has that shade of green_ _…'_

Slowly quickening my steps, I turn right back around and begin to head back to the main courtyard, noticing Konomi once again begin to follow me. Admittedly, she did a pretty good job of hiding herself, but since I was comparing her to all the other girls in this school, that wasn't saying much.

I approach the Final Course dormitory, which I remember is lined with trees all around. I stick to the wall and turn the corner, then, when I'm sure I'm temporarily out of her sight, I bolt, running at full speed to the thickest tree I could find behind the building. Using my momentum, I take a quick leap and plant a foot halfway up the trunk, using it to boost myself up to reach for a branch thick enough to hold my weight. I raise my other hand and grab the branch with both hands securely, then pull myself up on top of the branch and continue climbing until the leaves hide me from plain sight. Once I'm more than a few feet off the ground, I lay on my stomach on a branch thick enough to hold my weight and keep watch over the building, counting down the seconds.

Predictably, just as I reach zero, Konomi herself comes into view, carefully walking close to the building's wall to prevent herself from being seen. From where I'm keeping watch, it takes her several seconds to realise she's lost me, and when she does, she abandons all pretence of stealth and steps out into the open, groaning in disappointment. Luckily, she's close enough to my hideout that I can hear her mumble to herself.

"Oh no, I lost him. He is much better than I thought."

And with that, oddly enough, she ran back to the front of the building.

"Man… she gave up oddly quickly," I commented aloud, making my way down the tree I had climbed.

…

About an hour later, it was time for the egg hunt to properly begin.

All of the gang, as I called us now, including the three Red Rose girls, were gathered in front of the Final Course dormitory, watching as everyone else ran off in search of eggs.

"Oh, look at them run," Mitsuki spoke in disapproval.

"We hardly get to run around. Let them have their fun," Rise chided her.

It was true, actually. With the exception of Aiko, I had never seen a girl here run, sometimes even in gym class. They really took their proper conduct seriously.

"Though… with the way they're running, I think most of them already know just what they're looking for. It's become more of a race than a hunt," I comment.

"That's true," Ruriko agreed with a smile. "I saw many people looking at their preferred dance partner as they hid their egg, or surreptitiously dropping hints as to where they were hiding theirs."

"I guess that's just a natural course of action when it comes to things like this," I sigh, already beginning to walk off. "I think I'll go find one myself."

"Masaya-san," Ruriko says with a small blush, "Do try to find my egg, won't you?"

I turn around and begin walking backwards, giving her a smirk and a small wink. "You got it."

"A-and mine!" both Rise and Chiho speak up.

I give them nods of affirmation, then say in a slightly louder voice, "If anyone wants to find _my_ egg…" I pause and give a knowing look at Konomi, who gulps. "Then I'll just give one hint: you might want to look up."

And with that, I turn around and jog off.

…

Just a few minutes later, I managed to spot an egg hidden inside a hole on a tree trunk. With a raised eyebrow, I reached inside and plucked it from the hole, looking at its yellow colour.

"I wonder whose egg this is…" I mused aloud, but I didn't want to open it yet. I felt like it would be anticlimactic, so I simply slid the egg into the breast pocket of my shirt and headed back to the dormitory. On the way, though, my curiosity for my own egg's current whereabouts nagged at the back of my head, so I quickly climbed a tree near the dormitory all the way to the top, then pulled out an item from my right pocket: a high-power scope, which had come with a gift from my master. Of course, I couldn't have the gift with me in Vincennes, but I had decided to bring this just in case.

Looking through the scope, I focused on where I had placed my egg: outside the window of a second-story classroom in the main building of the school. I had gotten the inspiration after losing Konomi this morning, having looked up and just imagined my egg tucked in the corner of a windowsill. Of course, if I had truly done it like that, the egg wouldn't be actually noticeable, so I had taken a small strip of tape and stuck the egg to the outside of the window. Now, it was just a matter of time.

As I looked through the scope, I noticed the room I had left it in was empty, and I didn't see much traffic on the hallway just outside the room. I zoomed out a little and looked around the courtyard, and was forced to hold in my laughter when I saw Rise, Chiho, and Konomi all looking up like complete idiots. I mentally high-fived myself, then focused back on my egg and almost jumped when I saw someone actually standing inside the room I'd put my egg outside of. To further my surprise, I realised the girl was none other than my running and sparring partner, Aiko.

"Oh jeez, if only she was an actual student," I muttered. I had half a mind to actually go ask whoever organised the May Festival to arrange for that if she did take the egg, but as it turns out, she didn't. She noticed it, sure, but she only shrugged and walked right back out, motioning with her hands and saying something along the lines of 'there's an egg in here', which I read on her lips.

Almost immediately, three girls appeared, but I only recognised two of them. One was the girl I'd met on my first day by accident (Koyuki, I think her name was), and another was one of my classmates, a purple-haired girl by the name of Rin. The third girl was an unknown that had light brown hair that was cropped short.

The trio immediately bolted for the egg by the window, and the brown-haired girl decided to be the one to reach for it first. She opened the window and carefully grabbed the egg, with her girlfriends holding her waist just in case. Once she had a good hold of it, the girls seemed to discuss who would have it before it was handed to Rin, who eagerly opened it. Almost as soon as she had pulled the name out, Rin's face changed from anticipation to apprehension, and at the behest of her friends, she showed the tag to the other two, who have very different reactions. The unknown girl closes her eyes and shakes her head, but Koyuki actually blushes a little and begins to laugh. Rin looks at the both of them with pleading eyes, and in the end, Koyuki says something and is handed the paper by Rin. Realising what was happening, I shake my head and put away the scope.

"I guess I know my partner now," I say. "But how is this going to happen? If the person I pulled is also a second year, how will we dance?"

As I start to climb down, I muse aloud, "I guess I'll bring that up with Rise later on."

…

I was sitting on a branch of a tree next to the Final Course dormitory, nearly falling asleep with my back to the trunk, when I finally saw the rest of the girls approaching. They were all in a group, and the only one missing was Konomi. I could see, even from my distance, that Rise and Chiho seemed visibly upset, though Ruriko was as calm as ever. Mitsuki and Ritsuko seemed about as calm, discussing something between themselves.

As they approach my tree, I'm a little surprised when they walk right past and don't even notice me. With a small shake of my head at their lack of awareness, I give a slight cough and call out, "Hey, you two! What's gotten you down in the dumps?"

The group immediately jumps at my voice and looks around wildly, but the only one to notice me is Mitsuki, who calls out, "Masaya-san? What are you doing up there?"

The rest of the group finally notices me, so I lean over and jump right off, drawing gasps from the girls. To them it might have seemed like a big fall, but I simply land in a crouch and stand right up, considering that, with my height, it wasn't a particularly long fall.

"I was about to fall asleep waiting for all of you," I explain as I approach, looking right at Rise and Chiho. "And I was aiming the question at the two of you."

"Oh, nothing's wrong. Right, Rise-san?" Chiho says with false brightness.

"Yes, yes," Rise nods empathically.

"I see. Well, how were your hunts?" I ask the group.

"I found an egg, but it was of a girl that I didn't know very well," Rise says. The rest of the girls say similar stories. "Did you find any, Masaya-san?"

"Oh, yeah, I found one," I say, tapping the breast pocket of my shirt, where the egg lay snugly.

"Who is it?" Ritsuko asks curiously.

"Well, I haven't opened it yet," I explain. "I don't know whether to leave it for later or open it now."

"Open it now!" Chiho urged me. "Let's see who you pulled."

"Alright, alright," I say, more to get her (and the other girls, who were giving me urging looks with their eyes) off my back. I pull the egg out of my breast pocket, and almost immediately, I see one of the girls stiffen in surprise. Narrowing my eyes a little, I twist the egg and open it up, pulling out the piece of paper inside with a single name on it.

"Well?" Rise asks in expectation.

With a small shake of my head, I read out the name of the girl on the paper.

"Mekata… Mitsuki…"

…

…

…


	6. Chapter 6

Some hours later, I'm standing in front of my bathroom mirror, looking myself up and down. Considering the importance of the event, at least to the rest of the girls, I figured dressing properly was a big part of it, so I had asked for a pass out of school the day before and gone shopping for a proper suit.

The one I'd bought fit me well, as the broad shoulders were the same length as mine, and the sleeves were loose but not too much, giving me a full range of motion but maintaining the suit's overall good look. It was pretty lucky that I didn't have to custom order it.

Of course, I was just going off of what Yuuji and Yumiko had taught me about dressing formally.

The suit had a vertical-stripe pattern, and the shirt I had on was of a deep purple colour that I luckily had in my closet. I had opted to not wear a tie, instead leaving the top button of the shirt open to give it a more casual look.

It was a dance party, not a damn wedding.

The reason I had chosen purple was because I now knew who my partner was, and the colour of the shirt would go well with Mitsuki's hair. Luckily enough, Koyuki's eyes were of a light purple colour, so it wouldn't clash badly at all.

I still couldn't get the hilarity of my situation out of my way. I was set to dance with two girls that I barely knew, and one of them openly hated my guts! Well, hated might be a bit strong, but still. I had burned into my brain the faces of pure shock the gang had at who I had pulled.

Making sure my hair was properly combed and I had put on a nicely smelling cologne, I stepped out of my room and locked the door, laying the usual strip of paper on the bottom. I wasn't particularly surprised to see no one else in the hallway, considering the standard stereotype of the time it takes women to get ready. Granted, I was about forty-five minutes early, but still.

I made my way out of the dormitory and to the gym, which had been dressed up for the occasion as well. On the way, the only women I saw were the Gardiane officers doing their rounds, and I waved at one or two of them as I passed. They always looked at me with wide eyes, but I paid that no attention.

Just as I was only a few yards away from the gym, I encountered a pair of women on the path: Aiko and the captain of the Gardiane, whose name I still didn't know.

"Evenin', ladies," I said as I approached, raising a hand in greeting.

Both women stopped dead when they saw me, with Aiko blushing deeply and the Captain looking away for a moment before looking at me and saying, "Salutations, Okonogi Masaya."

"It's a bit of a shame that you ladies won't be able to attend the dance," I comment offhandedly. "Don't they ever give you a time to let your hair down?"

"Our off days are good enough, Masaya-san," Aiko responds.

"I see," I nod emphatically. I could understand that mind-set. I looked at the captain and asked her a question. "Miss, what's your name? I don't think I ever caught it."

"Koizumi Chika," the now-named Chika responds.

"A pleasure, properly this time," I say with a small bow. Chika returns it. As I straighten, I say, "Well, I should continue on my way. Wish me luck, ladies. I think I'm about to enter a lion's den, and I do not know if I will return with my life… or my sanity."

And with that, I leave the two bewildered women behind and make my way into the gym.

…

The gym had been very nicely decorated, and I noticed the chandeliers hanging off the ceiling were of very high quality. To my astonishment, I found that I'd arrived early enough to see an actual live orchestra setting up in a corner.

"Damn, Vincennes really likes to go the extra mile…"

I was happy to see that a food table had already been set up, with some of the teachers as servers. I approached and greeted them all with a smile, happy to see them return the greeting in a friendly manner. While the students may not have all taken to my presence yet, the teachers had pretty much accepted me, mostly because I always made sure to do all that I needed in each class without fail, and they all appreciated the hard work.

After making some small talk, I got myself a glass of punch and went to stand by the wall opposite to the most used entrance, standing in a way that I wouldn't be easily seen but I would be able to catch sight of anyone who entered.

Funnily enough, the very first girl to enter the room was Konomi herself. To my bewilderment, she was wearing what I could only guess was her naginata training uniform, consisting of a white shirt tucked into a long blue skirt. A few odd but almost unnoticeable bulges under her skin told me that she was probably hiding her naginata under it, and that set me a little on edge considering what she had threatened me with a few days ago. Thankfully, she didn't notice me, and instead, she emulated my actions, got herself a drink, and went to sit by one of the tables near a corner.

Slowly, as I continued to drink from my glass, the girls began pouring in. The Intermediary course girls were mostly the first to arrive, with a few of the Final course girls arriving alongside them, and with the obvious admiring looks on some of them, I had to guess that those Final course girls were their chosen Onee-sama.

The first girl that I actually recognised that came in was Koyuki. I was happy to see her wearing a mostly dark grey dress that hugged her figure well, and had some light purple accents that, predictably, accentuated her eyes quite well. With her dark hair, she gave off a very mysterious but sexy look, and I had to commend her on that.

The second girl to arrive was the dance partner I'd pulled, Mitsuki. She was wearing a lilac-coloured dress that actually went well with her hair, but her overall air was soured a little with her disgruntled expression. I shook my head in exasperation and watched as she went to talk to none other than… Koyuki.

 _'_ _Oh boy, that_ _'_ _ll be a conversation_ _…'_

Finally, one of the girls I knew more came in. Rise. I chose to stay in my little dark corner, watching as she looked around hopefully. I figured she was looking for me, but didn't want to assume.

Chiho soon followed, then Tamie, and finally Ruriko. After some minutes, the last girl I was expecting (Ritsuko) came through the door, so I deemed it time to go to my friends. Holding my glass in one hand and putting my other hand in my pocket, I calmly walked to where my friends were, and as I approached, I came to hear a most interesting conversation topic.

"… don't really notice breasts until we dress up like this," Tamie was saying, shaking her chest back and forth in a pathetic attempt to make her B-cups jiggle.

"Tamie-san, please," Rise chided her.

"Talk of breasts always remind me of when I found Panterbell," Ruriko suddenly says with a wistful smile, closing her eyes.

"P-Panterbell?" Chiho asks in bewilderment, with the other two girls giving her similar looks. "Why?"

"Ah, I nursed him."

Everyone, even I, had to move back a little in shock.

"It was a joke," Ruriko chides lightly, making us all release breaths of gratitude. "I simply held him to my breast to warm him up."

The other girls made sounds of understanding, and I figured it was a good time for me to jump in.

"Well, isn't Panterbell quite the lucky… whatever he is," I comment, making the girls jump in surprise.

"Masaya-san!" Rise says, turning to me along with the other girls. The four of them immediately stopped, and if it weren't for their moving sternums, I'd have assumed they had stopped breathing entirely.

"Hey," I greet them, raising the empty glass I had in my hand. "Fancy meeting you here. You four look lovely."

"Oh, thank you," Ruriko says in a pleased tone.

"How do you boys say it? Hot enough to stop traffic, right?" Tamie says, giving me a flirty wink and taking a model pose.

"You've got the correct phrase," I say with a smile, turning to the last two. "You two look amazing. I haven't seen either of you in formal dresses, but you wear those well."

Both girls blushed profusely, but I still felt that they were annoyed over something. I dismissed it, though, when a thought I had in the morning came back to me. "Rise-san, there's something that's been bugging me. I know who my partners will be, both the one I found and the one that found me, but they're both Final Course second years. I can't dance with them both at the same time."

Rise noticed the flaw in the plan just before I finished talking, and she fell deep in thought. "You're right, Masaya-san. But what can we do?"

"Why not have each class have a turn?" Chiho suggested. That way, there should be no mix-ups."

"A good idea," I agreed.

We talked out how the plan would go with Rise, then descended into meaningless talk until the event started.

…

Minutes later, I was standing by the wall with Chiho, Ruriko, and Tamie, as Rise stood on the stage and described how the event would go after a quick greeting.

I crossed my arms and decided to wait my turn patiently, but before I could fall into a small doze, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning, I came face to face with a beautiful girl that I just barely remembered seeing around campus. She had light-blue coloured hair and what I guessed were amber-coloured eyes, and she was wearing a strapless dress that allowed her sizable cleavage to be perfectly seen.

"You're Masaya-kun, right?" the girl asked.

Ah, so she was a senior. No wonder I couldn't remember talking to her.

"The one and only, quite literally," I respond. "Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

"Ah, I'm Kitamikado Ayaka, class 3-D," the girl responded, taking a little pose. "Alright, Masaya-kun, you're dancing with me."

"Pardon?" I asked, perplexed. She wasn't my dance partner; it was Koyuki.

"You're dancing with me, Masaya-kun," Ayaka said, reaching for my hand. "Come on, don't want to keep the others waiting, do we?"

However, I snatched my hand away, looking at the girl with suspicion.

"So you found my egg?"

"Yes," she said immediately.

I raised an eyebrow. This girl didn't seem to have any inhibitions about lying.

"Then where's the paper with my name on it?"

"Oh, wouldn't you know, I was walking back to my room with my name on it, and a crow suddenly attacked me!" the girl said in what I could tell was mock sadness. "It was really scary! And when it left, it took the paper with it!"

I raised an eyebrow at her, then shook my head and turned my back to her. "Ayaka-sama, if you're going to lie, at least make sure it sounds believable. I don't know whether to laugh or feel insulted that you'd think I'd fall for that. Additionally, I already know who found my egg, so you can drop the charade."

I couldn't see her, but I was sure that Ayaka had been thrown for a loop.

"Did you not find an egg?" I asked her, looking at her over my shoulder.

She shook her head.

"Well, then you will have to wait until the Woo with Oeuf is over for us to dance, no? See you in a bit."

With that, I walked right back to my friends, who were watching me suspiciously.

"That was Ayaka-sama, wasn't it?" Ruriko asked.

"Yep."

"Did she ask you to dance?" Chiho asked.

"Yep."

"And you turned her down?" Tamie finished it up.

"Yep."

I leaned against the wall once more, feeling the eyes of the girls on me.

"Why did you turn her down?" Tamie asked curiously.

"Because she didn't have my egg," I responded. "I already know who my first partner will be, and it's not her. Besides, it's not like she could seduce me into dancing with her. I've pretty much grown desensitized to feminine wiles." I opened my eyes and looked at the three of them carefully, making them squirm a little. "Not that I don't enjoy the view."

...

Soon enough, the seniors' pick ended and the time came for the second years. Since we were going class by class, I looked expectantly at where Koyuki was and was unsurprised when I saw her making her way over to me. She was in class 2-A after all.

"Koyuki-san, a pleasure to see you again," I greeted her with a small bow, which she formally reciprocated.

"Masaya-san, it seems you will be my dance partner," Koyuki states, showing me the paper with my name on it.

"So it does," I agree, holding a hand out. "Shall we?"

Koyuki placed her hand in mine, and together, we walked to the dance floor. I place my left hand on her waist and held her left hand comfortably in my right one, and thus, the dance began.

I could see Koyuki's eyes momentarily widen in surprise when I took the lead of the dance. It wasn't difficult to guess the rhythm of the waltz, and this was one of the many songs Yumiko had me dance.

We danced in silence for some time, simply swaying to the music. We looked into each other's faces, as was proper, but neither said anything for a minute. Then, Koyuki broke it.

"You are a very good dancer, Masaya-san."

"I got several lessons from a friend. According to her, my dancing was passable at best and abysmal at worst before she taught me."

"Oh, dear. You hadn't danced before then?"

"Not particularly. I was so preoccupied with my family and all of my jobs that I didn't have time. When I was recovering at Mishima, though, that tight schedule did a one-eighty."

"I see."

The rest of the dance passed with minimal chatter, and finally, after another minute, the waltz ended. We separated and gave each other bows.

"A marvellous dance, Koyuki-san. Perhaps you could honour me with another later in the night."

"It would be my pleasure, Masaya-san," Koyuki responded semi-warmly, and I was happy to see that her demeanour towards me had changed over the course of the school year and the dance we just had.

I walked back to where my friends were, not surprised to find Chiho and Rise, who had apparently returned, glaring at me a little.

"What?"

The girls refused to stop, and instead, Chiho decided to speak. "When did you get so cosy with Koyuki-san?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Just now, actually. I've interacted so little with her that this was the only time we could properly talk."

The girls still seemed dissatisfied, but I wasn't about to continue the argument, as it was my class' turn to get their partners. I pulled out the paper with Mitsuki's name on it and made my way to where she was seated. She was already looking my way, her eyes narrowed. I stopped in front of her, and we studied each other silently. Then, I held one hand behind me and the other towards her, palm up.

"Shall we, Mitsuki-san?"

Mitsuki stared at my hand for a second, then calmly placed her hand in mine.

"Very well, Masaya-san."

I led her to the dance floor, repeating the actions I'd done with Koyuki. Mitsuki seemed oddly calm to me, but I suppose that she had decided to just tough it out.

...

After the quiet and somewhat awkward dance was over, the two of us bowed respectfully to each other. However, before she could leave, I grabbed her hand.

"Wait, Mitsuki-san," I spoke as she turned to me. "I want to ask you something."

"What?"

"Why, exactly, do you dislike me?"

"..." Mitsuki didn't answer immediately, instead gazing into my eyes as if searching for something.

"Or is it just the idea of integration that you dislike?" I ask.

Mitsuki nods.

"But then, why bring that on me? I may be going for integration, but from what I've heard, you were good friends with Rise-san, even when she planned to go for integration. So why all of this towards me?"

Mitsuki remained silent, her slightly wide eyes telling me that she hadn't truly thought about it. I sighed.

"Listen, I think we need to have a good talk. I don't want to have bad blood with anyone so soon after I've started here, especially if it's unfounded. Would you mind meeting me in the Rose Garden tomorrow at noon so we may discuss this?"

"... Fine," Mitsuki grounds out reluctantly, and with that, I release her hand and give her a second nod.

"Very well, then. I'll be waiting. Additionally, you're a very good dancer, and I hope you'll grace me with another tonight."

This time, her face was less tight when she responded. "We shall see, Masaya-san." With that, she headed back to her table.

I smiled and headed back, only to be met by the disgruntled looks of my friends. "Now what?"

None of them respond, and I shake my head in exasperation as I lean against the wall.

"Masaya-san," Ruriko suddenly says, "What were you speaking to Mitsuki-san about?"

I glance at her and notice that Rise and Chiho were looking at the girl in surprise.

"I asked her to meet me in the Rose Garden tomorrow so we could talk. Before you begin," I firmly spoke when I saw Rise and Chiho begin to glare at me, "I asked her to talk to me because I'm done with having her dislike me constantly. I want to know at least why she does, and if it's something I can fix. I don't want to have anyone hate me, after all."

"I see," both Tamie and Ruriko say, with Rise and Chiho looking thoughtful.

"That's not a bad idea, Masaya-san," Tamie says with a smile.

"Thanks. I actually came up with it on the fly, so I didn't know if it would work out," I admit.

"...?" Ruriko makes a sound of confusion, then looks at me. "What do insects have to do with your idea?"

I raise an eyebrow in question, then remember that I used a phrase that she most likely wasn't familiar with. "Oh, no, Ruriko-san. To come up with something on the fly just means to think about it in the moment, not before. It was an unplanned idea."

Ruriko nodded and made a small 'Ah' sound before remembering that it was her and Chiho's turn to dance.

…

"Masaya, where are you going?"

It was two hours later, and the Soiree Dansante proper had begun some time ago. In that time, I had already danced several dances with my friends, and even took both Koyuki and Mitsuki for a second one, both of which were much more relaxed than the first ones. I had just been headed away from the group when Chiho called me out. I looked behind me at the girls that were staring my way, then looked back to the table I had been looking at for the last few seconds. "I'm going to see if I can get a dance with someone I don't know all that well."

"Huh?" they all asked.

"Nothing," I mutter, shaking my head and walking off. I approach a table to the side where there is only one person seated: Kitamikado Ritsuko.

The navy-haired girl stared at me as I approached, then blushed when I stopped right in front of her and bowed, one hand held behind me and the other held out towards her. "Miss Ritsuko, may I have this dance?"

Ritsuko stared at me for a short time, but in the end, she smiled and placed her hand in mine. "You may, Masaya-sama."

As we walked to the dance floor, I commented to her, "I will never get used to having –sama placed on my name."

"It is how I am supposed to address you," Ritsuko responded predictably as we began to dance to the waltz. Much like Koyuki and Mitsuki, Ritsuko seemed surprised when I took the lead of the dance.

"Yes, I know, Ritsuko, but I honestly have to stop myself all the time from calling you Ritsuko-chan," I say as we dance.

The fact that Ritsuko blushed slightly and looked away for a moment after I said that hinted to me that she probably wouldn't mind that.

As we danced, we made some small talk, and she professed to me that the woman I had turned down when the Woo with Oeuf started was actually her older sister. That's when I remembered where I had heard the last name Kitamikado before.

"Not just that," I commented, "But your general facial structures are the same."

"Are they?"

I nodded.

"She did not offend you, I hope?" Ritsuko asked, a little apprehensively.

"Oh, no, not at all."

Moments later, the dance began to wind down, but unfortunately, the rest of my night wouldn't go as easily as I had hoped.

"ONEE-SAMA!"

That yell startled everyone inside the gym. I immediately reacted and looked behind me, and I was startled to see an enraged-looking Konomi charging through the crowd at me, a long and very sharp-looking naginata tightly gripped in her hand.

"Konomi?!" That was all Ritsuko was able to say before Konomi jumped forward, aiming the blade right at my neck. Unfortunately for her non-existent plan, all of her movements were slow enough for me to react to easily.

I quickly reached down and picked up Ritsuko in a bridal carry, jumping back and avoiding the blade in the nick of time. Konomi's naginata clanged as it hit the floor, and my shoes made a clacking sound as I landed and slid a few centimetres.

The area around us froze for a second. Everyone was staring at the scene in fearful confusion. Konomi was staring at the sharp end of her naginata, apparently unable to believe that she had missed. In my arms, Ritsuko's eyes were unfocused, wondering just what had happened.

Me… Pardon the curse, but I was fucking furious.

I practically saw red as I put Ritsuko down, who swayed a little before sitting on a nearby chair. As the rest of the people inside the gym began to react, I stalked over to Konomi, who was just beginning to glance in my direction, and grabbed the area where she had gripped the naginata with both of her hands, snatching both of her wrists with one hand. As she tried to process what was happening, I used my other hand to give her a palm strike to the stomach strong enough to make her lose her grip on the blade, then forcefully pried the blade from her hands and, turning my upper body, I tossed it aside.

Konomi was now staring at me in pure fear, but I wasn't done with her yet. Lifting both of her arms over her head, I basically frog-marched her to the closest wall and slammed her against it, making her cry out, more in fear than in pain.

Then, in a perfectly audible voice, I spoke.

"… Do you have… _any idea what you were about to do?!_ "

The yell startles everyone around me, but I pay them no attention. I was solely focused on the green haired girl in front of me, who was looking into my eyes with her own wide ones.

"Tell me, Yanase Konomi. Do you know what you were doing? Did you even think of _what_ would happen if I hadn't avoided that? What would have happened if I hadn't taken Ritsuko with me? What would have happened if I hadn't been trained enough to react appropriately in a deadly situation?! Tell me! Did you even think about the aftermath of your actions?!"

Konomi was quiet, as was everyone else.

"No. No, you didn't. All of your mind was so focused on 'protecting your Onee-sama' that you lost sight of everything else," I say shortly, glaring at the girl. "Would you like to know?"

Konomi looked at me, unblinking, and I continued in a cold tone.

"If I hadn't moved when I did…" I lifted my free hand and moved my thumb across my neck. "Then the blade of your naginata would have dug into my neck and sliced right through, easily loping my head off."

The girls all around us gasped in horror at the mental image I had just given them, and Konomi seemed to agree with the sentiment, though she was apparently in shock.

"But that's not all," I tell her, and this time, I move forward slightly so that only she can hear me. "With the momentum you were carrying, and with the position Ritsuko had, as soon as that blade left my neck, it would have continued right on and easily sliced off _half of her head_."

Konomi's already wide eyes widened further, and a throaty gasp escaped her mouth. I pulled back a little and continued. "Did you want to be responsible for the deaths of two people, one on purpose and the other accidental? No, I highly doubt it, because no matter what threats you gave me, you don't know at all the effect death has on a person."

Finally, I release her wrists, but Konomi's in so much shock that she simply sinks right to her knees, putting her hands forward to support her upper body. I stare at the girl in pity, and decide to say one final piece.

"Yanase Konomi, look at me." She doesn't move, so I reach down and forcefully move her chin up so her eyes meet mine. "I want you to know one thing. If you plan to come after my life… _do it for the right reasons!_ " My yell makes her flinch. "I have neither the time, nor the patience, to deal with jealousy-addled fools, much less ones with dangerous weapons. So if you plan to come after my neck again, then make sure you are prepared, because I will not be holding back. Like I said when I first came to Vincennes, if threatened, I _will_ fight back with all that I have."

With that, I release her face and turn back around, coming to the sight of every single girl looking at me with a different facial expression. I ignore all of that though. I can feel my head begin to hurt, just like it had… back then…

I shake my head forcefully and begin to walk, heading to the door of the gym. I notice Rise and Chiho both move to stop me, but I walk right in between them, saying only two sentences that I can feel echo through the gym.

"I'm going back to my room. I'm in no mood to stay here."

And with that, I push open the door and leave the gym.

…

As I walked down the path to the dorms, I could feel the pain in my head begin to mount. A sudden spike of pain shot through my temple, forcing me to lean against a tree and hold my head in an attempt to quell the pain.

"Damnit... Why... Why does this keep happening...?" I asked aloud, trying to soothe my head with a light massage, which worked somewhat.

...

...

...


	7. Chapter 7

Thankfully, because the May Festival landed on a Thursday, the students had no classes Friday and Saturday. On Friday morning, I woke up earlier than usual and couldn't fall asleep again. I felt like my body was more tense than usual, so I decided to forego my morning run and instead, I took a lotus position at the very centre of my room and worked on a skill I hadn't used often: meditation. Since my morning runs and usual workout routines almost always worked to keep my mind clear, I hardly needed to do so, but the influx of emotions I had due to Konomi's actions last night made it damn near impossible for me to relax. It was a wonder that I was able to fall asleep at all.

Thankfully, the mediation works wonders on my mind. I can feel myself relax as I control my breathing, and when I attempt to clear my head, I manage it with little difficulty. Once that was done, I could feel myself relax enough to feel like I was floating, and I decided to remain like that for a little while just to keep the sensation.

When I open my eyes, though, I'm a little surprised to see that the captain of the Gardiane, Chika, standing just a foot away from me, with another Gardiane officer standing by the door, who was shooting me furtive glances.

"Chika-san, good morning," I greeted her as I stood up.

"It is already noon, Masaya-san," Chika pointed out.

"Good afternoon, then," I transition smoothly. "May I ask for the reason of this visit? You two didn't think of knocking?"

"Yes, we did, but you were so deep into your mediation that you did not hear," Chika explained. "We were sent to bring you to the headmistress' office."

"That so? What's the occasion?" I asked as I went to put on some clothes, already having a good guess as to what it was.

"I was not told, but I assume it has to do with both your actions and those of Konomi last night," Chika said.

I nodded and finished dressing in about five minutes. Once I combed my hair, we went on our way. The entire walk to the office, I could see that the Maidens of Vincennes that were currently outside were shooting a lot of looks my way, covering the entire emotional spectrum. Some were sympathetic, others were derisive, and some were just plain confused. I had to shake my head in exasperation, but I understood. Some had seen more of the world than others, and thus, reacted accordingly.

It took about five minutes to reach the headmistress' office, and the Gardiane knocked lightly before entering. I follow her in, surprised to spot Konomi at the right side of the room, hands behind her back and looking gloomy. The headmistress was sitting behind her desk as usual, and on one of the seats around the office was the chairwoman.

"Thank you, Chika. You may leave," the headmistress said authoritatively, and the Gardiane captain bowed and followed the order.

Now, it was just the four of us.

I refused to look at Konomi just yet. My mind was a maelstrom of thoughts at the moment because, as soon as I'd spotted her, I had remembered the feeling of anger I had last night, and I wanted to remain as calm as possible right now.

"Now, Masaya-kun," the chairwoman began, standing up from her seat. "I'm sure you know why you're here."

"I have an idea."

"Good. I have already received Konomi's side of the altercation that happened last night. I would like to hear yours."

Taking a quick glance at the headmistress, I could see that her eyes were cold and were mostly focused on me. Something told me that, had the chairwoman not been there, I'd have likely been expelled for threatening and hurting a Vincennes maiden, regardless of who attacked first.

As calmly as I could, I explained what had happened last night from my point of view. I briefly went over the dances, then spoke of bringing Ritsuko out to the dance floor. I could see the headmistress outright glare at me for that, but I ignored her and continued, explaining how I moved away and then neutralised Konomi.

"Well, your stories correlate," the chairwoman nodded, "But was it necessary to say what would have happened to yourself aloud, Masaya-kun?"

"Yes."

The quick response startled the woman a little, but she simply nodded and continued. "Your side of the story is not the only reason you're here, Masaya-kun. As you are the innocent party in this case, and since this was an attempted murder, it is your decision as to whether you wish to press charges."

I could the that the headmistress definitely didn't want that by the way she glared at the chairwoman, who ignored her. With narrowed eyes, I finally looked over to Konomi, who seemed to have shrunk inwards quite a bit. She refused to meet my eyes, instead looking down at the floor with a depressed air around her.

I stared at her for a little bit more, making her squirm uncomfortably, then took a breath and responded.

"No."

That startled Konomi. She looked up at me in astonishment and what seemed like gratitude, which made me smile inwardly.

"Considering what I told her yesterday, I think she understands what the repercussions of her actions could have been. I don't plan on pressing charges. Besides, it would be a bit of a blow to the school's reputation to have 'had a student on trial for attempted murder' printed on its resume, wouldn't it? I came out of this unscathed, so it's unnecessary."

The two women nodded in tandem to my words, and the headmistress picked up the conversation, turning to my would-be murderer. "Be that as it may, Konomi, you still broke Vincennes rules by bringing your naginata to the Soiree Dansante last night. As such, I am suspending you from your club's activities for a month, and you are not to take your naginata anywhere until then. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Madame Headmistress," Konomi responded morosely.

"Good. You are both dismissed," she spoke authoritatively.

Konomi and I filed out of the office. Once outside, I turned to the girl and said, "I hope this taught you something, Konomi. You need to have better control over your impulses, otherwise you could hurt someone you didn't mean to."

"I understand," Konomi nodded.

"Good. Now, I have somewhere I need to be, so if you'll excuse me," I excused myself, walking away.

"Masaya-sama," Konomi called out. I turned back to see her giving me a shrewd look. "I still do not trust you."

"I understand that," I nodded. "Therefore, when you think of a way you can trust me, come find me."

And with that, I walked away from her, headed to the Rose Garden.

...

I had arrived there quite early, as there were very few people around. Regardless, I took a seat at one of the tables, pulled out a snack bar I'd stored in my pocket before going to the office, and munched on it, waiting for Mitsuki to show.

It was no more than a few minutes later when I saw her stepping into the Rose Garden, looking around quietly. She spotted me easily and made her way to me, sitting across from me once she reached the table.

"Salutations, Masaya-san."

"Good morning," I nodded at her, my face neutral.

"Why did you ask me to come here?" Mitsuki immediately asked.

"Simple. I want to talk," I respond. "In short, I want to get to know you better. In long, I want you and me to understand each other and end the animosity between us."

"Why?"

I look her directly in the eyes. "I've seen first-hand what holding on to a baseless grudge can do to a person, Mitsuki-san. You and I didn't meet under the best of terms, and I can understand being wary of a person based on preconceptions. I don't want to have to be wary of my classmates, Mitsuki-san, and thus, if after this, we still don't get along, I can at least come to understand that we tried to fix it and will pursue this course of action no more."

Mitsuki stared at me, seeming to be a little thrown off, but eventually coughs awkwardly and nods. "Very well, Masaya-san. If you wish to talk, I have no qualms about it."

"Unfortunately," I sigh, "You already know my story, as I did have that interview with Tamie-san. Thus… I don't have much to give you."

Mitsuki looks away for a moment, and I raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"That is… assuming you've read it?"

After a moment, Mitsuki shakes her head, leaving me a little astonished.

"Do you not read the newspaper?"

"It isn't that. I read it often, just…"

"Just not this time, I understand," I nod. "Alright, then, I'll start. I want you to get to know me as well as I wish to know you, so it seems we'll be here a little while."

Mitsuki nods, remaining silent. Waiting for me to begin, I guess. With a little sigh, I remember everything that I had told Tamie, steel myself for the memories this would bring up, and begin.

…

"And that's it in a nutshell, Mitsuki-san," I finish my story with a strong exhale, trying to expel the feelings of regret I still harboured. Mitsuki was staring at me with calculating eyes, as if searching my eyes for the truth. In the end, she sighed and nodded, looking down at the table.

"That's… quite a tale, Masaya-san."

"So I've been told," I respond with a wry smirk. "Will you return the favour?"

Mitsuki's face seems to scrunch up, like she bit something sour, but she nods. "I suppose it's only fair. However, unlike you, my story is… much blander."

I don't respond, and with that silent confirmation, she starts.

Thus, Mitsuki tells me of her life growing up, which is not so much bland as it is lonely. She's lived in Vincennes her entire life, and by her account, her home life is quite isolated. Her parents were focused only on her studies, constantly pushing her to only think about her studies and harshly punishing her when she got anything under a 90%. Thus, while she became very proficient in her studies, her mannerisms, personality, and social life suffered because of it. She became bitter towards those that had so much freedom of choice, which she admitted was the reason she had ended her friendship with Rise just the year before, when she had become the _Chef de Corps_. She had become jealous of how the radical, pink-haired girl had been so popular, and thus, had drifted apart from her on her own accord.

The more I listen to her, the more sympathy I feel for the girl. She had also been forced into a life of solitude by interference from her parents, and that had unfortunately retarded her sense of society. That also explains very much the awkwardness that I've felt many times coming from her and the forced haughtiness she has.

"… and even now, when I go back to them, all I hear from them is, 'How are your grades?' No questions on how I am, or if I've made any new friends. Nothing about me. The only thing that matters is my academics… And the funny thing is, it isn't even for my benefit. The only reason they force me to succeed is so that they have something to brag about to their friends." Mitsuki, now with tears rolling down her cheeks, looks down at the table, hands tightly gripping a teacup she had brought earlier. "They've pushed me since childhood to be academically perfect… all just to protect _their_ public image…"

I continue frowning when she falls silent. It seems that she had reached the end of her tale.

With a small sob, she reaches up and swipes at her cheeks, forcefully pushing away her tears. "Sorry to burden you with such a lousy story," she mutters, still looking at the table.

This makes me frown more intensely. Despite how antagonistic she's been to me, I still worry for her, especially with that reaction. Her sense of self-worth had also taken quite a hit due to her parents' mistreatment. Looking around, I note that the sun had just begun to set, which makes me startle a little. How long had we been talking for?

Thinking it over a bit, however, I realise I can use this to my advantage.

"Mitsuki-san," I say, grabbing her attention. "Come with me."

She stares at me, uncomprehending, so I hold my hand out to her and smile, hoping to ease her doubts. Looking between me and my hand, I see her blush before she takes it and lets me pull her up from the seat.

…

I lead her to our dormitory building. I do notice the shrewd look she gives me when it seems we're walking to my room, but when we pass it without me even mentioning it, her face changes to confusion.

The confusion on her face only increases when I lead her to the roof of the building, which I had found out a week ago wasn't kept locked.

"Masaya-san, why did you bring me here?" she asks, looking around the empty rooftop.

Before I answer, I reach out my hand again, wordlessly asking her to trust me on this. She places her hand in mine more quickly this time, which I'm glad to note. With her hand in mine, I bring her to the very edge of the roof and lift that hand, making our intertwined hands reach out to the setting sun.

"Look out there, Mitsuki-san," I say calmly, nodding at the sunset. She does so, and when I glance at her, I'm relieved to note that her expression has become just as calm as I feel. "And wait."

We stand there for a few minutes, watching as the sun finally disappears from view. I look at her, prompting her to look at me, then motion upwards, to where the moon had now fully appeared.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it… _Larme de Lune?_ "

Mitsuki gasps when I say that title. "H-How do you know that title?"

I smirk. "Rise told us a little of your past relationship not too long ago. Besides that, I've heard it once or twice."

Realisation dawns on her face as she looks up at the moon again.

"Tell me again why you decided to distance yourself from Rise?" I gently ask her.

Mitsuki's eyes come down and land on mine. "…Because I was jealous… of how popular she was becoming… I felt she was leaving me behind."

I nod. "But tell me, Mitsuki-san. Do you think the moon ever has to compete with the sun?" She looks up at the moon again, but I continue before she can say anything. "No, it doesn't. It gains strength from it, creating a relationship where both can help those that are around and beneath them. The sun is large, powerful, and bright, but the moon is mysterious, calm, and aloof. They're two sides to a coin, but they work together, in tandem, to give us a way to see." When she looks back down at me, tears filming her eyes, I smile softly. "And that's exactly why you were mistaken in your jealousy. You thought Rise was leaving you behind, but the truth is, like the Earth doesn't need two suns, neither does Vincennes. Instead, it has its own sun and moon, which may be contrasts to each other but have the ability to be the greatest partners ever seen. That's what you are, Mitsuki-san: Vincennes' moon. You may be underestimated now, and you may think yourself unequal to those around you, but the fact of the matter is that you have more of an effect on Vincennes and its students than you think, you're beautiful in your own right, and you have just as much strength as anyone else."

To be perfectly honest, I had rambled a little. I had said the first things that came to mind, but when I see the a wide smile appear on Mitsuki's face as her eyes continue to cry, I feel thankful to my friends in Mihama for the things they had taught me. All of the smoothness I'd just said? Amane's work, and some of Yumiko's as well. Like the dancing, they had given me a few tips and tricks on what certain girls may like most, and now, I think that's paying off.

Suddenly, Mitsuki surprises me by jumping forward and embracing my torso, hiding her face in my chest. "That… was beautiful, Masaya-san."

I smile and, out of instinct, reach up and place my hand on her head as I hug her back, choosing to say nothing.

…

We stand there, in our embrace, for what I count to be a minute, before Mitsuki breaks it and wipes at her face.

"You're really not that bad a person, Masaya-san," Mitsuki says, smiling at me.

"Glad to hear," I smirk. "I do try."

"And you're right," Mitsuki continues, more determination in her voice. "I need to be my own person. I can't think of myself so lowly… but it's not easy."

"Nothing says you have to do it immediately," I respond. "And no one's going to push you. You can come out of your shell at your own pace. However, I do think there's something you need to do."

She looks at me in askance, then seems to realise what I'm implying and sighs. "I do need to apologise to her, don't I?"

I nod. "The sadness in her voice was palpable when she told us of your past. I think it's been long enough, don't you?"

Mitsuki nods resolutely and begins to walk to the doorway. Halfway there, however, she stops and looks back at me. I stare at her as she seems to ponder something, then she asks, "Would you… come with me?"

I raise an eyebrow, but eventually nod, and together, we head down into the dormitory.

…

 _Rousenin Rise wasn't sure what to think when she received a message from Mitsuki, of all people, to meet her at the Rose Garden as soon as possible. It didn't sound particularly urgent, but she still hurried over, curious as to why her old friend would want to meet like this._

 _When she arrived, she noticed that Mitsuki wasn't alone. Instead, she was sitting at a table with none other than Masaya, speaking in low tones. Masaya seemed to immediately notice she was there, because he looked over as soon as she saw them, locking eyes with her and nodding in greeting. Masaya whispered a few more words at Mitsuki, who now looked a little panicked._

 _"Salutations," Rise announced her presence, making Mitsuki freeze._

 _"Hey, Rise," Masaya responded, standing up. "Well, I'll leave you to it, then."_

 _"What?!" Mitsuki exclaimed, snatching his wrist as he began to walk away. "But-"_

 _Masaya reached down and softly grabbed her wrist, pulling his hand free, then gave Mitsuki a calm smile. "Don't worry, Mitsuki-san," Masaya said in a soft voice, "I won't be far. In fact, I'll be just behind that tree." He nods to a tree a few paces away. "But this is something you need to do. If you want to gain inner strength, it's a good idea to start with the closest people."_

 _And with that, he nodded to Rise again and walked away, hands in his pockets. Rise decided to take a seat across from Mitsuki, who now seemed to be getting her courage back._

 _"Mitsuki-san?" Rise asked aloud._

 _Mitsuki nodded once, then opened her eyes and looked at Rise._

...

I was surprised when, not half an hour later, I heard two pairs of footsteps approaching the tree I was leaning against. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed that the pink and purple haired girls were walking towards me, talking with each other in happy tones I was glad to hear.

"So, can I assume it went well?" I ask as I move away from the tree.

Both girls look at me, with Mitsuki walking forward and giving me a light bow. "Yes, it did. Thank you, Masaya-san."

I smile and approach her, placing a hand on her shoulder and lightly jerking her upright. "It was my pleasure, but I suppose during all that talking, Rise never told you that I don't like people bowing to me."

"Oh, no, she didn't," Mitsuki said, an embarrassed flush coming across her cheeks.

"Masaya-san, if I may ask, why is it that you don't like it?" Rise asked.

I sigh in response. "Normally, it's just because of how I see myself. I felt like an utter waste of space after my parents' deaths, and that still lingers around my psyche. Seeing someone bow to me makes me feel uncomfortable because I just don't think I deserve it. If anything, a 'thank you' alone is fine."

Rise and Mitsuki nod in tandem, then both girls startle when a flash of lightning passes overhead, followed by the roar of thunder. Looking up, I notice that the sky, which had been getting cloudy ever since Mitsuki and I had come down from the rooftop of the dorm, was now starting to discharge some water. One of those drops lands squarely on my nose, and I wipe it away.

"Well, I guess that's our cue to head inside?" I ask.

Both girls nod hurriedly, and the three of us jog lightly to the dormitory.

…

By the time we arrive, the rain is falling unrelentingly, and all of us are lightly soaked. Rise, having the longest hair, begins to squeeze some water from it, while Mitsuki focuses on her clothes. I don't bother and instead look out from the doorway we were standing at, watching as the rain covered everything in sight.

I had never been averse to rain. In fact, I considered myself a light pluviophile. There was something about the falling rain that I felt was calming and cleansing, especially when it was a light drizzle in the morning. On such days, when I went out to jog, I would take more time than usual in my route, letting the drizzle fall on me.

"Masaya-san?" I hear Mitsuki say my name. "Are you coming?"

I turn back halfway and notice the girls are already inside the dormitory, but looking back at me with curiosity. Looking at the shower outside, I smile lightly and shake my head.

"Nah… not yet."

With the girls watching me in confusion, I take off my button-up shirt and hang it on a nearby chair, leaving me in my plain white undershirt. With a slight grin to the girls, I walk backwards, right into the downpour, and immediately feel a chill on my body as it gets soaked to the bone.

"Masaya-san!" Rise exclaims. "What are you doing?!"

I hold my hands to the side, the grin on my face widening. "Getting rained on."

"Yes, we can see that!" Mitsuki exclaims. "The question is, why?!"

I shrug. "I've always liked the rain. It feels relaxing to me, honestly." I turn and begin walking away, saying over my shoulder, "So I think I'll stay out here a little more."

I close my eyes and tilt my head up, letting the rain hit me right on the face. After a few seconds of this, however, I hear a pair of footsteps splash up to me and smirk.

"You'll catch a cold, you know," Mitsuki's voice floats over to me.

I open my eyes and look at her smiling visage, rainwater running down her face, and smile back.

"Perhaps… but I think the peace of mind I get from it is worth a little cough."

Mitsuki shakes her head and wiggles her shoulders a little, which lead me to notice she took off the vest part of the Vincennes uniform, leaving her in a long-sleeved blouse. "What do you find so relaxing about it?"

I sigh, then spit out a little water that falls in my mouth. "I suppose it's the feeling of cleansing I get, you know? I feel like the rain washes away my doubts and worries, and after I take a hot shower, I feel refreshed."

Mitsuki stares at me a little, then smiles a bit wider and looks up as well. "I can see that."

"What, me taking a hot shower? My, my, Mitsuki-san, you're quite bold."

"Pervert!" Mitsuki exclaims, slapping my shoulder with a wet _smack_.

I laugh in response, placing my hand on her head and rubbing it a little. "Ah, you're so fun to tease."

"You're a strange one, Masaya-san," Mitsuki says with eyes narrowed, though I notice she doesn't try to take my hand off her head.

"So I've been told," I shrug, then look around for a moment. "Where's Rise?"

In response, Mitsuki points to an umbrella-covered table, where Rise is sitting and staring shrewdly at us.

"Hey, Rise! Why not join us?" I call out to her.

"No, thank you! You two have much shorter hair than I do, and drying all of my hair with this downpour would take me an annoying amount of time!" she yells back.

I laugh and shake my head, then turn back to Mitsuki, who's looking at Rise with a pensive look. "Good thing we don't have to deal with that, eh?"

Mitsuki doesn't immediately respond, but when she turns to look at me, I notice that one of her hands goes up to her hair. "Um… Masaya-san…"

 _'_ _Please don't tell me she's going to ask what I think she's going to ask.'_

"Do you like girls with long hair?"

 _'_ _Son of a-.'_

"Well, I certainly don't dislike them. A majority of the girls I know have long hair. You're one of the exceptions."

"Yes, but-!"

With a raised eyebrow, I reach out and lightly flick her forehead, making her give a little 'eep' and step back.

"Stop it, Mitsuki-san. My preference should not define how you maintain yourself. I told you, you're beautiful as you are, and any change you make to yourself should be based on how you want to be."

Mitsuki stares at me, her face changing expressions as if she's not sure whether she wants to be happy or sad at what I said. I sigh and decide to relent.

"If you want my input, though… I do like your short hair. I feel it fits you better than long hair, based on your facial structure and body type. It's quite fetching."

Mitsuki blushes and steps back again, making me smirk.

 _'_ _Well, hope she got what she wanted.'_

When I see her eventually smile, I'm pleased to see I'm right.

…

Finally, a few minutes later, the rain begins to abate and a cold feeling begins to seep into my skin, signalling it was time for me to head inside. Rise and Mitsuki were more than happy to oblige.

Once in my room, I take a hot shower, staying under the water until I'm sure I can feel my body temperature return to normal. Then, once out, I put on a pair of shorts and flop onto my bed, reviewing the day.

The one thing that truly stood out to me was what I had said to Mitsuki, especially the words I'd said on the rooftop. Thinking back now, I think I was unnecessarily… romantic with my words.

"I have a feeling that may bite me in the ass…" I mutter aloud. Turning to my side, I stare out the window, where a light drizzle was still falling, and shrug. "Well, Mitsuki-san's pretty attractive… I guess it's no big deal."

Now I just had to prepare myself for the eventual fallout.


End file.
